Naruto: Future Generations and Beyond
by DumpsterHipster
Summary: ON HOLD. Naruto Uzumaki, now Hokage and a father - is torn apart between those two responsibilities. On the other hand, his son Uzumaki Bolt meets Uchiha Sarada and finds out that they both have "daddy issues" in common. Will their similarities blossom into friendship? Or lead to something much more in the future? (Warning: Contains LEMONS) (Sequel to Naruto Chapter 700)
1. Chapter 1 : Responsibilities

**Disclaimer:** I do _NOT_ own Naruto. The original Naruto is property of Masashi Kishimoto ©. No part of this fanfiction may be reproduced in any form without the author's permission. The events in this story take place after Naruto manga Chapter 700.

**Pairings: **[ NaruHina ] [ BoltSarada]

**WARNING:** Rated MA 18+. This fan fiction contains **sexual** themes and **adult** language. Only mature audiences are advised to proceed.

* * *

><p><strong>Quote of the Day:<strong>

_"The next generation will always surpass the previous one. It's one of the never-ending cycles in life." — Hatake Kakashi_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One:<strong>

**Responsibilities**

Konohagakure, also known as the Hidden Leaf Village, is the most prosperous village in all of Shinobi World ever since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War. Of course, it is led by no other than the legendary Orange Hokage of Konoha himself, Uzumaki Naruto.

Most young people aspire to become as great as the Seventh Hokage himself, inspired by his life that started from being a zero to a hero. At least most young people do except for one.

Uzumaki Bolt.

Son of Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Hinata.

He hates Hokages.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Ninja Academy)<em>

Bolt was bored.

His whole afternoon in class was full of non-stop, tedious lessons about the History of Konohagakure. Something that didn't catch the interest of the young Uzumaki.

His mind wandered off somewhere else as he looked outside the window, plotting a new ingenious prank in his head.

"Uzumaki Bolt, are you listening?" Shino Aburame called for the inattentive blonde. "I just asked you a question."

Everyone else in the class turned towards Bolt who was caught off-guard by the question. His sensei had been trying to ask him the same thing for the third time in a row already.

"What's that, Shino-sensei? Sorry. I didn't hear you." Bolt turned his gaze sullenly at his sensei.

"I asked you if you know who Madara Uchiha is and the role he played during the Fourth Shinobi War. Would you kindly share it with the rest of the class?" Shino sighed.

"Isn't he Sarada-chan's grandfather?"

Bolt answered as he pointed to the Uchiha girl in the next row, who was listening to their sensei more attentively than him.

The whole class snickered quietly.

His answer earned him a daunting gaze from Sarada Uchiha, the one-and-only daughter of Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura.

_'SHANAROOO! I'm literally gonna kill you one day Bolt! Boys are so stupid.'_ the inner-Sarada expressed her annoyance towards the blonde.

"You weren't listening to me, Bolt. I just talked about this for about half-an-hour ago." his Shino-sensei said to him in his matter-of-factly voice. "Are you planning on pranking the Lord Hokage again?"

"Sorry sensei and no. It won't happen again." Bolt lied.

Yesterday, the young Uzumaki pulled a prank on the Hokage face statues by painting them with red paint. But then his father managed to stop him and had a talk with him about how he should be tough.

Luckily, the school bell rang.

It was time to go home.

"Alright class, make sure you head home straight after this!" Shino announced. "And remember, you will be assigned to your **Genin Teams** next week! So be good boys and girls at home, alright?"

Bolt hurriedly slung his backpack unto his shoulders and looked for his friends before heading out.

"Hey Shikadai!" he called for the Nara.

"What now, Bolt? Pranking again after what you did yesterday?" Shikadai, the son of Nara Shikamaru and Temari, turned lazily towards the blonde.

"Let's go hang out. I'm bored and it's Friday."

"Sorry, Bolt-kun. Ino-Shika-Cho practice again." Inojin Yamanaka, the son of Ino Yamanaka and Sai interrupted before Shikadai got a chance to reply.

"Darn it-ttebasa!" Bolt cursed. "You guys are always busy with training. Can't you just skip that for now? It's Saturday tomorrow!"

"Can't." Inojin said. "I already disobeyed my mom when we skipped training yesterday because Shikadai here failed to turn up. Sorry."

"Troublesome." Shikadai muttered under his breath.

_'How lucky.'_ Bolt thought.

Their parents teach them jutsus whereas his father was always away on his Hokage duties. The young Uzumaki watched his friends as they headed off for their Ino-Shika-Cho training, leaving him alone once more.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Hokage's Office)<em>

Papers.

Lots of papers.

But Uzumaki Naruto embraced his Hokage life with pride despite the hardships and consequences that he had to endure with his position.

Naruto had been doing a bunch of paperwork with his adviser Shikamaru, ever since the Five Kage Summit meeting ended yesterday. Konoha was indeed prosperous and very successful under his reign. His supreme leadership known to surpass even the previous Hokages.

"Hokage-sama." Shikamaru finally spoke after noticing that the Uzumaki was silent for a while now. "Don't you want to take a break and see your family? You look… stressed, with all due respect."

Ever since Naruto had been appointed Hokage, he became serious and was no longer the irresponsible man child that he once was. On the down side, he was beginning to spend lesser time with his family.

"I'm fine, Shika-san." Naruto sighed. "Just a few more to go."

Shikamaru looked at the remaining dozens of paper stacks and shook his head.

"No. You must take a day off and go home. You've been doing these paperworks all night long, Naruto. It's not good for your health." Shikamaru advised.

"But who else would do it without me?"

"That's what I'm here for." the adviser smiled.

The blonde Hokage yawned as he placed his pen on the table and stretched himself. He began to recall what happened yesterday with Bolt. His son had been longing for his attention and presence as a father. Something that he had ignored for too long.

"Are you sure you can handle this on your own, Shika-san? There's still more."

"Don't worry, Naruto. You can count on me." Shikamaru assured.

"Alright-ttebayo. I guess I'm going on a day-off then." Naruto finally said. "But I'm taking some of these papers to look at once I get home."

"Doesn't spending time with your family mean relieving yourself of Hokage duties? You're worrying too much." Shikamaru uttered.

"Being a father and Hokage at the same time. Who says I can't handle both?" Naruto grinned. "Believe it-ttebayo!"

* * *

><p><em>Location: (The Uzumaki Residence)<em>

The Orange Hokage arrived home quickly, darting from roof-to-roof instead of just walking like an ordinary man in the downtown area. Walking is too mainstream for a Hokage.

When he arrived, Naruto tip toed his way to the kitchen, wanting to surprise his family of his arrival. It's been quiet a while since he had last seen Hinata and his children.

But.

"Oh my, why is there an orange man sneaking inside the Uzumaki Residence?" Hinata suddenly appeared from behind as if she was expecting his arrival.

His wife never ceased to surprise her.

"Oh hey, Hinata-chan! Didn't see ya' there." Naruto said sheepishly as he slowly turned to face his wife.

Suddenly, Hinata grabbed his face and began pulling his cheeks. A pair of white, round eyes looked at him with concern and loving care. She slowly stroked his cheek before putting her arms around his shoulders.

"You look stressed, Naruto-kun." she muttered, referring to the eye bags that were evident on the Hokage's eyes.

"What are you saying? Of course, I'm not."

"Welcome home." she said to him.

Naruto pulled his wife into a tight embrace and kissed her passionately. It's been so long since he had last tasted her lips and inhaled her scent, her beautifully intoxicating aroma that has driven him wild for all these years.

"Dad?"

The two stopped their intimate moment briefly and turned to see Bolt.

"Hey, son! How was your day-ttebayo?" Naruto let go of his wife's embrace and walked towards his son.

"Fine." Bolt replied sullenly.

Naruto crouched down to be on the same height as Bolt.

"What's with that little cute-pouty face? I hope you didn't get into trouble again today. I still remember what you did to the Hokage face statues." the Hokage said as he patted his son's head.

"Daddy!"

The little Hinata-look-alike rushed to greet her father with a wide, big hug.

"Himawari-chan! How's my little princess?" Naruto pinched his daughter's cheek lightly.

"Mommy and I went to visit Uncle Neji yesterday. Too bad you and big brother weren't there." Himawari replied in her usual baby voice.

"Is that so?" the Hokage smiled at his daughter.

"Why are you here, dattebasa?" Bolt asked glumly.

"I've decided to take a day-off from my Hokage duties for tomorrow." Naruto replied.

"A day-off?" Bolt's face brightened up as he heard his dad say the word _day-off_.

"And," Naruto turned to Bolt once more. "Since tomorrow is Saturday, I'm going to teach you a new jutsu because I'm on a day off."

Bolt couldn't believe what he was hearing from his father right now. His dreams are finally coming true for the first time.

"R-Really?! A new jutsu?" his eyes widened at the revelation.

"Tomorrow, Bolt. I promise." Naruto said to his son with a pat on his head.

"Time to go to bed, Himawari-baby. And you too, Bolt. You're father's tired from work and he could use a good night's rest."

Hinata said to her children before each of them gave their parents a peck on the cheek and heading straight to bed.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Naruto and Hinata's bedroom)<em>

The Orange Hokage was busy reviewing the papers that he had brought home from his office, despite being at home. He sat on chair in front of his desk, his back aching from overworking himself.

"Let's go to bed, Naruto-kun." Hinata entered the room after reading Himawari a bed time story and making sure that Bolt is now asleep.

"Just one last paper, Hinata-chan. I have to do this, ya' know." he replied. "Hokage duties-ttebayo."

Sneakily, she approached him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders.

Naruto tensed at her sudden move.

"Relax. I'm going to give you a massage to calm your nerves."

Hinata kneaded his muscles until they loosened. When she moved up his neck, he tightened once more.

"Stop resisting. I'm helping you, Naruto-kun."

Naruto relaxed again.

She slid her fingers into his hair and rubbed his neck skilfully with her thumbs, a skill that she had picked up from medic-nins on how to seduce men.

After a while, he let his pen drop from his hands. Hinata noticed that it had been a while since he wrote. She ran her fingernails down his back and silently hoped that he was enjoying it.

"Take your shirt off, so I can massage your back properly." she ordered her husband.

He didn't respond but she heard him take in a deep breath.

The Hyuga bit her lip. Her intentions had been kind of obvious.

"You've been under a lot of stress for quiet some time. You need to do _something_ to relieve your stress, Naruto-kun." she added.

Naruto looked up at her, looking really tired.

Hinata smiled at him.

The Hokage rose from the chair, allowing his wife to undress his shirt for him. He looked like he had just finished playing against the world's greatest shogi player.

"I have a very beautiful wife, ya' know." Naruto said as he stroked her flustered cheek. "She's very pretty and I love her so much."

Hinata began to unbutton his shirt, blushing.

Naruto was now naked before her. She craned her neck to kiss his shoulders and then reached his lips before pulling away.

"Make love to me, Naruto-kun." Hinata whispered.

**x**

She licked her lips, pulled him closer towards her face and plunged her wet tongue into his mouth hungrily. Hinata began explore his own tongue as they both shared a passionate kiss in a sensual rhythm.

It's been so long since they last had did it.

Hinata broke off their kiss for a while and pushed him towards the bed as Naruto removed the rest of his clothes, which revealed his already-erect manhood due to Hinata's arousing massage.

They kissed again.

Naruto's mouth tasted sweet, almost like candy, and his breath carried a fresh hint of mint and lemon. His overall sweet scent aroused her, making him all the more desirable.

She opened her eyes a bit when she heard him moan softly into her mouth as he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

"God I need you to help me relax, Hinata-chan."

Hokage's duties had intervened with his role as her husband. Naruto got up and took off her clothes for her. His hard, muscular body was a major contrast to her slender, feminine body that screamed of curves and tenderness.

Mother nature had been kind to his wife. After all these years, her body was still as youthful and seductive as ever.

He began to position himself on top of Hinata.

Hinata's pulse raced the moment she felt Naruto's hard manhood pushing against her already-moist depths in a slow and teasing, thrusting motion.

"D-Do it, Naruto-kun." Hinata pleaded, impatient of his teasing.

With the signal, he plunged his cock inside her.

The pain she felt was unbearable but rewarding.

Naruto started out slowly, moving in and out of her steadily while using one of his hands to fondle with one of her breasts gently. His touches were enough to make her shiver.

After a while, an intense pressure began building in between her thighs as Naruto's thrusts became harder and faster with each successful penetration.

Hinata's own cries of pain became pleasure that heightened as he grasped her hips with his large hands. He drove himself deeper inside her with each forceful shove.

God, the sensation was addicting.

She's longed to feel him inside her for quiet some time now. The Hyuga could feel Naruto's continuous laboured breathing all over her flushed face with his every thrust. Her own pleasure intensified as her sensitive spot rubbed against the tip of his penis when he began hitting the right spots.

Hinata felt her entire body tense with every in and out penetration from Naruto's lengthy dick until she finally climaxed before him. She lost herself as the ecstatic orgasm occupied her mind.

Naruto followed after.

He let out a lustful moan as his cock twitched against her sensitive spot.

"Oh god, oh shit." the Orange Hokage prayed whilst the breathtaking orgasmic sensation continued.

Exhausted after the hour-long pleasant experience, Naruto ran out of energy and lied down beside his wife, panting. She immediately turned towards his side and wrapped her arms around the torso of his lover's well-built body.

"Naruto-kun?" she whispered and kissed his jaw, her voice almost inaudible. "Are you still awake?"

But he was already snoring. He was very tired indeed and she had worn him out even more with their intimate moment as a couple.

The Hyuga wanted to tell her husband lots of things. About how happy he made her feel tonight and how she loved to be with him as his wife.

But Hinata decided that it could all wait for some other time as the Orange Hokage was already snoring and fast asleep.

**x**

"DAD! DAD! DAD! DAD!"

Bolt Uzumaki ran towards his parent's bedroom, screaming. He couldn't contain his excitement about his father, finally teaching him some new jutsu for the first time.

He hastily knocked on the door repeatedly to his parent's room.

Naruto opened the door after finally coercing himself to get up from bed due to his son's impatience. Cuddling with Hinata wrapped in his arms felt like heaven. But now, he had other responsibilities to attend to as a father.

"Bolt?" the Hokage yawned as he greeted his son after opening the door.

"Time to teach me a new jutsu! Did you forget?"

"It's seven in the morning, son. Isn't that a bit too early-ttebayo?"

"A shinobi always wakes up early-ttebasa! You're the Hokage and you're supposed to know that, dad." Bolt complained.

Naruto sighed._ What can a father do anyway?_

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Uzumaki Residence Garden)<em>

"What jutsu am I learning today, dad?" Bolt asked.

The Hokage led his son to the centre of the grassy garden in order to make sure that there will be no other plants around them that might disturb their way.

Naruto figured that his son is already in the right age to learn this jutsu, although he was a year older when he learned it all by himself.

"For me to teach you this, you must prove to me that you will start to behave maturely from now on. Understood-ttebayo?"

"Y-Yeah I will, dad." Bolt agreed excitedly.

"Are you mature enough to learn this jutsu that I'm about to teach?"

"Of course I am-ttebasa!"

"That's what I'd like to hear." Naruto said proudly in his _nice guy _pose. "Then allow me to introduce to you the first jutsu that you will ever learn from me … the **Shadow Clone Jutsu**!"

"THAT'S IT?!" Uzumaki Bolt whined. "You're just going to teach me one of your basic jutsus?"

Out of all the jutsus that his father could teach him, creating shadow clones was pretty much too basic in the eyes of the young Uzumaki.

"What's wrong, son? The Shadow Clone Jutsu is a **B-ranked **jutsu. In fact, it's supposed to be a secret technique since it is only found in the Forbidden Scrolls. Plus, it was created by the Second Hokage himself." Naruto explained.

"How about other cooler jutsus like— like your Rasengan!"

Naruto sighed. "You're too young to be entrusted with that kind of assassination technique. Besides, don't you think numbers are essential when you engage in battle with your opponents?"

Bolt frowned at the Orange Hokage. "This sucks."

"C'mon, Bolt give me a break. I learned this jutsu when I was a year older than you. And, I learned it all by myself. Okay?" Naruto tilted his head on one side and gave his son an encouraging smile.

"Fine."

"That's my boy."

It took minutes for Naruto to fully explain the complex process behind the Shadow Clone Jutsu to his son. But just like him when he was young, his son wasn't that good when it comes to understanding verbal theories as well. So it's best to actually perform the jutsu physically rather than talking about it.

"Okay," Naruto began. "This are the hand-seals that you need to do. Are you watching-ttebayo?"

"Gotcha' dad." Bolt nodded in response.

Naruto: **"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

_POOF!_

Suddenly, a dozen other Naruto clone's appeared beside the original one. Bolt had never seen anyone produce a dozen shadow clones all at once, much to his amazement.

"Now you try it, Bolt." the original Naruto said after he dispelled his twelve other clones. "Just start off small with three to four clones for now, ya' hear me?"

Bolt closed his eyes as he performed the hand seals carefully and focused his mind to concentrate on distributing his chakra evenly for each of his clones.

Bolt: **"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

_POOF!_

Fail.

Only three other _failed_ shadow clones manifested before the young Uzumaki. The three other 'Bolt's' looked like they just got drunk with sake and fainted to the ground.

"NOOO!" Bolt flailed his arms in rage and utter devastation.

Then.

His stomach growled loudly.

"You can't perform a jutsu efficiently with an empty stomach, ya know." Naruto said to his son. He wasn't mad that he did the jutsu wrong. He knew how hard it was to do it at first.

"I don't get it-ttebasa." Bolt began to cry. "I — I'm the Hokage's son and I can't even do a simple Shadow Clone. I'm a failure."

"Be strong, Bolt. Not everyone gets it in their first try."

Time to dig up his fatherly words of wisdom. Naruto never knew what having a father was like since he was an orphan himself. But being a father doesn't require a manual handbook. It comes from within.

"Ya know, when I was still a student in the Academy, I was the dead last and the weakest among my classmates. I got really bad grades and I failed my graduation exams twice." the Hokage shared to his son. "Because of that, nobody liked me."

"No way." Bolt wiped a tear away from his face. "You're a Hokage now-ttebasa. Someone like you can't be a dead last student before in your Academy. You're the strongest shinobi in the whole village right now."

Naruto crouched down and grabbed his son's shoulders as he looked at him with his kind, fatherly blue eyes.

"In order for one to become strong, one needs to fall. That's how I learned to win it all." he said to Bolt. "Failure is a stepping stone to success, not a barrier. Always remember that. Get it-ttebayo?"

Bolt nodded.

"And do you remember our Ninja Way?" Naruto asked his son.

"Never give up?" Bolt replied.

"Good." Naruto added. "Now let's go get some ramen!"

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Ichiraku's Ramen Restaurant)<em>

Ever since Naruto became Hokage, he did a lot of reconstruction and enhancements on various buildings all over Konohagakure. But most of all, the building that got the most change was his favourite place in town:

Ichiraku's Ramen Bar.

What was once known as a small ramen stand was now a big hit restaurant all over the village, with hundreds of customers eager to eat ramen everyday. It was reconstructed as a tribute to its original founder, Teuchi Ichiraku, who passed away years ago.

Like father, like son.

And Bolt Uzumaki also liked ramen, just like his father.

"Are we gonna go training again once we finish here—tebassa?" Bolt eagerly asked after swallowing a mouth load of ramen.

Naruto continued to slurp his ramen before answering.

"Of course. We'll work better on improving your chakra control next before you perform Shadow Clone again."

Bonding time with his father, Bolt's wish ever since Naruto got busy when he became Hokage. But unbeknownst to him was that this wasn't going to last long.

"HOKAGE-SAMA!" A man wearing thick-framed glasses, accompanied by a woman beside him barged through the ramen restaurant's door.

Udon and Moegi, the Hokage's loyal assistants.

"Hokage-sama there's — there's …" Udon was too exhausted to speak as he took in deep breaths.

"There's an emergency, Hokage-sama." Moegi finished for him.

Bolt looked at his father worriedly, hoping that his response would be to stay with him and continue their training.

"What happened?" Naruto wondered. "Can't you see that I'm having a father and son moment here?"

"But — but…" Udon stuttered.

"I'm sorry but we can't discuss this matter at hand publicly, Hokage-sama. It's confidential." Moegi continued for Udon.

The Hokage sighed. He turned to his son Bolt, who looked down on his unfinished ramen bowl in utter disappointment.

"Can't Shikamaru-san handle it himself? I'm on a day-off here you see." Naruto tried to reason with the two.

"Apologies Hokage-sama but it cannot wait." Udon spoke.

Bolt was silent. The time that he was going to spend with his father is now ruined by some emergency that the Hokage has to attend to.

"Can you two wait outside for a moment?" the Orange Hokage said to Udon and Moegi, hinting them about Bolt's reaction.

"Oh," Moegi looked at Bolt with sorry eyes. "Got it."

After his two assistants left, Naruto turned to his son who expressed his dismay with his downcast cerulean eyes. He understood that the young Uzumaki wanted to spend more time with him but he just crushed his dreams.

"Bolt, I —"

"I get it-ttebasa. Go."

"You understand why I'm doing this, don't you?"

"Hokage duties."

"I'm so sorry, Bolt. I wish I could spend more time with you but have to —" he tried to explain to his son but he knew that Bolt had heard of this excuse for dozens of times already.

"GO." Bolt interrupted. Tears were starting to well on his eyes but he didn't want his father to know, so he kept his head down in front of him.

Naruto stood up from his seat after finishing his ramen bowl and gave his son a pat on his head before leaving.

Being a Hokage and a father at the same time isn't that easy.

Both of these roles have one thing in common:

Responsibilities.


	2. Chapter 2 : Daddy Issues

**Quote of the Day:**

_"Those who do not understand true pain can never understand true peace." _

_— Uzumaki Nagato_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Two:<strong>

**Daddy Issues**

_Location: (Konohagakure Streets)_

Hokages suck.

That is, in the eyes of Uzumaki Bolt.

After his father left him alone at the restaurant to leave for his Hokage duties, Bolt lost the appetite to finish his ramen. The young Uzumaki decided to leave the restaurant and resume training all by himself.

Unknown to him, a pair of curious onyx-eyes were watching him from afar — constantly observing him ever since he left the ramen restaurant alone.

Sarada Uchiha.

The Uchiha girl had been observing Bolt for quiet some time now. Swiftly hiding from wall-to-wall for cover once she began following him.

_'Where is this idiot going?'_ inner-Sarada wondered.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Ninja Academy Training Grounds)<em>

"Promises. Stupid promises." the blonde ranted.

Then Bolt began to mimic his father's voice.

"_I'll take a day-off and spend time with you, Bolt. Believe it!_ But then _OH NO! There's an emergency! Gotta go, son_!"

A verbal onslaught, he began. Bolt was mocking his father's words as he walked towards the middle of the training grounds to practice his newly-learnt jutsu.

"I'll show you-ttebasa. I don't need your help starting from now on. Bolt Uzumaki will surpass every single, stupid Hokage in history!"

Wasting no time, he performed the needed hand seals.

Bolt: **"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

_POOF!_

One out of five shadow clones that Bolt had managed to create was a success.

"Okay Bolt, just one more time." he said to encourage himself after dispelling the other clones.

Bolt Uzumaki performed the jutsu over and over again until on his **thirty-third try**, all his efforts paid off.

Finally.

Ten out of ten clones were a success!

"OH YEAH! I FINALLY DID IT-TTEBASA! " Bolt jumped with joy and high-fived his ten other shadow clones to express his jubilation in achieving the feat of mastering Shadow Clone Jutsu.

_Dispel!_

But once he dispelled his ten other shadow clones, Bolt began to feel dizzy.

He felt his head spinning in circles, his eyes getting hazy and groggy. The blonde Uzumaki was feeling giddy out of exhaustion.

He used up too much of his chakra reserves.

Bolt fainted.

* * *

><p>… <em>25 minutes later<em>

"BOLT! BOLT! Wake up!" A familiar female voice said.

Slowly, the blonde Uzumaki opened his eyes. He felt someone shaking him savagely and calling his name. A girl to be exact.

"S-Sarada-chan?" he identified the voice.

"Of course it's me, you idiot. Are you alright?" Sarada replied as she helped Bolt sit up straight on the ground.

"Yeah… a bit I guess." Bolt rubbed his eyes, still trying to clear his hazy vision in order to fully wake himself up.

Suddenly.

_BAM!_ The Uchiha hit him on the head.

"OW! What did ya' do that for-ttebasa?! THAT HURT A LOT!"

"Because boys like you are SO stupid!" Sarada scolded him. "What were you thinking using up your chakra reserves like that?! Just for some stupid cloning jutsu practice? Are you out of your mind?! Thank goodness my mother taught me **medical jutsu**. Or else you could've — you could've —"

Like mother, like daughter.

Sarada stopped ranting once she realised that her temper was taking control of her words and actions. Just like what Sakura used to be when she was with Naruto.

"I could've _what_?" Bolt asked, puzzled of why she stopped.

"Never mind." Sarada sighed as she lifted her glasses up. "Let's go somewhere else."

The Uchiha stood up and grabbed Bolt's hand, much to his surprise. She started dragging the puzzled Uzumaki off to someplace else.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Hokage's Office)<em>

"What's the emergency, Shika-san?"

Naruto barged inside his office and found his adviser, standing beside his table along with an ANBU soldier.

"Trouble, Naruto. Very troublesome." Shikamaru calmly replied.

"You don't say. No wonder why I'm here… on my _day-off_." the Orange Hokage muttered, stressing the word **day-off**.

"I'm sorry to have taken away your precious time with your family but this one's urgent. Kindly open it for me." The Nara adviser gestured an ANBU to place a sealed container box on the table in front of them.

"What's inside that box?"

"You'll see."

The ANBU opened the box, revealing another glass container inside the box container itself. He then carefully placed the glass container outside the box for the Hokage to see.

"Aren't those kikaichu of the Aburame clan?" Naruto asked.

Inside the glass container were two insects, **kikaichu** to be exact. These types of insects were known to be bred by one of the distinctive clans in Konoha: The Aburame Clan. The fast-moving insects flew around the glass container as if they were struggling to get out.

"Look closely and you'll see that they're quiet special. These two kikaichu are of a different specie than ours." Shikamaru explained.

"Have you asked the Aburame clan if they know anything about these insects?" Naruto asked as he looked closer and observed the kikaichu.

"Yes we have, Hokage-sama." Moegi answered. "The Aburame clan says that they do not breed these types of kikaichu. These don't come from around these parts of the Fire Country as well."

"And watch this one, Naruto." the adviser added.

Shikamaru walked towards the sealed glass container and touched it with one finger. He slowly released a bit of his chakra inside the it, as if he was feeding the kikaichu.

After absorbing a bit of his chakra, the two kikaichu multiplied into two. Now, there were four insects inside the container.

"H-How? Did they just clone themselves into two at once?" asked the surprised Hokage.

"Based from our recent findings, these breed of kikaichu reproduce _asexually_ through **rapid mitosis **when exposed to chakra. A very rare and deadly trait that could potentially lead to a plague." Shikamaru explained.

Udon added. "But to make things worse, these insects are also immune to Elemental jutsus. So far, we only know that taijutsu and normal weapons can affect them. But I doubt that both techniques will successfully eradicate these insects, considering the fact that they multiply so easily."

"That is indeed problematic-ttebayo. But how were these kikaichu discovered?"

"My team was attacked by them as we were patrolling the outskirts of the neighbouring villages." the ANBU officer answered. "They came in swarms and managed to kill one of my ANBU members by exhausting him of his chakra reserves. I caught samples of them to be studied."

"Absorbing chakra, huh. Looks like it's got the same abilities as the Ten Tails during the Fourth Shinobi War." Naruto assumed.

"But the question is, who created them and who was controlling them?" Shikamaru contemplated.

A tall figure wearing a black cape and stern, dark onyx eyes unexpectedly came through the wide-open window inside the Hokage's office swiftly.

"I know."

Everyone's attention turned to Uchiha Sasuke, the rogue vigilante shinobi of Konohagakure.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (The Uchiha Residence)<em>

"Mama, I'm home!"

Sarada called for her mom as she entered whilst dragging the innocent Bolt along with her.

To her surprise, they had guests in the dining room. Ino Yamanaka and her husband Sai were paying a visit to the Uchiha Residence for some afternoon tea. Catching up with their old times.

"Ah, welcome home Salad. And what's this? You've brought along Bolt-kun." Sakura greeted the two with a smile.

"Hi Aunt Sakura." Bolt greeted sheepishly.

"Hi Aunt Ino and Uncle Sai." the two children said in unison.

"Where's Inojin by the way?" the blonde asked the Yamanaka family.

"My Inojin? He's probably busy taking care of the flower shop right now. How about you? What are you two up to?" Sai beamed at the blonde and the Uchiha.

"And why is Bolt's forehead bleeding?" Ino noticed.

_BLEEDING?!_ The thought of it began to panic the Uzumaki. It finally dawned on him that Sarada's punch on his head a while ago must've been quiet strong to cause bleeding. Sarada had inherited her mother's super-strength.

"He fell off the swing, Aunt Ino. We were playing just then." Sarada lied. "Anyway, can I use your plasters and medical equipment, mama?"

"Of course, dear. It's near the bookshelves upstairs." Sakura replied.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Sarada's bedroom)<em>

Sarada dragged Bolt upstairs to her bedroom after getting her mother's medical kit.

"Sit." she ordered.

But before Bolt got to sit on her bed, Sarada stopped him.

"Don't even think about sitting on _my_ bed." she warned sternly.

The blonde got up and moved himself towards the couch that was situated near her bed. The couch looked comfortable enough to rest himself on after getting dragged along by her.

"Don't even think of sitting there. My cat wets herself when she takes a nap on that couch."

Bolt stood up immediately.

"Sorry." he apologised.

"On the floor. Now." she demanded.

The blonde obeyed.

"Wh-what are you going to do, Sarada-chan?"

She didn't answer him.

Instead, she hurriedly unpacked the band-aids from her mother's medical kit and sat in face-to-face with Bolt on the floor. Then she grabbed his head harshly.

Bolt winced in pain and squirmed as Sarada started plastering his bruises with band-aids.

* * *

><p><em>… 5 minutes later<em>

"OW! That's painful-ttebasa!"

"Will you quit moving?! Stop being such a baby, Bolt. I can't do this properly if you keep on squirming like that."

"Whatever." Bolt pouted and calmed.

Sarada had to admit that her punch on Bolt's head was quiet strong a while ago and it went too far. Feeling guilty of what she did, she had to do something for him at least.

"There. Done." After a few more finishing touches with her medical jutsu, the Uchiha finished nursing the blonde Uzumaki.

"Thanks, Sarada-chan. You'll make a great medic-nin. Believe it!"

The comment made Sarada blush. No one's ever said that to her before except her mom.

She continued to sit in front of Bolt, a bit regretful of what she had done to him. Sarada wanted to apologise to the blonde but her _Uchiha superiority complex _was above saying sorry, especially to whom she considers to be 'stupid boys'.

"How did you find me there anyway? Were you following me all along?" the blonde wondered.

"Are you implying that I was _stalking _you? Get real."

"I didn't say _that_. You didn't answer my question-ttebasa."

"I was —" Sarada sighed. "Look. I was on my way to my Aunt Ino's flower shop alright? My mom asked me to buy some flowers for our garden. But then I saw you eating with your dad at the restaurant."

"And you stopped by to watch us eat? Stalker much?" Bolt's eyebrow raised.

"NO. How many times do I have to tell you that I AM NOT YOUR STALKER!" she clenched her fists in rage. "Anyways, I saw him leave you all alone in the restaurant and so I followed you when you left the place."

"See? That's called 'stalking', Sarada-chan. Don't get me wrong on this one. I know my vocabulary pretty well."

"Bolt you are really _stupid_ ! If it wasn't for me, who knows what might've happened to you back there?!"

"Alright, alright, gee. Calm down, _Salad-chan_." Bolt grinned in a teasing manner.

"I swear to God, Bolt I'll —"

Bolt covered her mouth with his hand before she managed to finish her sentence. His attention got turned towards a picture frame that was located amongst a stash of old stuff behind Sarada's study table.

"Who are they?" Bolt crawled closer towards the picture and picked it up.

"Oh my god. Don't you recognise them?" Sarada followed him and sat beside the blonde.

It was the old picture of Team 7 consisting of Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura.

"This one's your mom, this guy's your dad and … this other guy looks almost like me. He looks familiar somehow." Bolt tried to identify the people but failed to recognise his own father, much to Sarada's disappointment.

_'He's so dense. SHANAROO!' _The inner-Sarada couldn't help but curse herself at how stupid Bolt actually is.

"Same blonde hair, same whiskers and same blue eyes. Who do you think is he Bolt, you dense idiot?"

"No way," he began to realise. "My dad looks ugly."

Then Bolt added. "And I hate him."

His tone dropped dead serious. Bolt was no longer joking around, Sarada could tell. The image of his father reminded him of what happened this morning. How his own-ttebasa had abandoned his precious bonding time with him for his Hokage duties.

"Bolt…" Sarada began to sympathise.

"I hate Hokages-ttebasa. They suck."

"You don't hate Hokages. You just hate your dad because of his job."

"How could you say that? What do you know about what I feel?" Bolt questioned as he placed the photo back to its place.

"I know because we both have _daddy issues_." Sarada reasoned out. "My papa's not always here. He only comes home once a month. You're even luckier than me because you get to see your dad at least thrice a week. But my papa's left… my papa's just _never_ here. And when my mama's at work, I do get lonely sometimes."

_Lonely._ That word struck Bolt so hard. He continued to listen to Sarada attentively. Seeing that she was beginning to open up to him.

"I realised a long time ago that he isn't worth spending my time with. Papa and I aren't that close after all. But when I saw you doing all those pranks just to get your father's attention, you made me question my beliefs." Sarada said.

She turned towards Bolt so that they were now facing each other.

"You made me realise that despite our daddy issues, a child will always long for her father's love. That's a fact."

Sarada began to cry. "I miss him, Bolt. I miss my papa."

Bolt didn't know what to do. A girl was crying in front of him. Should he console her? Hug her? Perhaps he shouldn't try doing the latter. Who knows what Sarada might do.

In the end he decided to just hold her hands with his own. Physical contact is something that ought to give each of them comfort in times of shared grief. It just felt like the right thing to do.

"Hey, Sarada-chan." Bolt looked at her with kind, blue eyes.

"Huh?" Sarada sobbed.

"Take your glasses off."

"What?"

"I said take your glasses off. I've never seen you not wearing them before." Bolt let go of one of her hands and extended an arm to reach for her glasses. "Here I'll do it."

Bolt carefully took Sarada's glasses off her face.

"Wh-why'd you do that, Bolt?"

"Because I always had a hunch that you'd look really pretty even without those glasses." he said as he placed her glasses beside her and wiped a tear away from her face.

_He's calling you pretty and touching your face?_ Inner-Sarada invaded her subconsciousness. _SHANAROO!_

"B-Bolt I … I can't see clearly without them." she muttered.

"I know." he said. "You might not see me clearly but always keep in mind that I'll _always _be here for you from now on. Get it-ttebasa? Our dad's might always be away but look, we have each other, Sarada-chan."

Sarada realised that his hand was still on her cheeks, making her blush a little.

Bolt continued. "You should've just told me that you needed someone to hang out with rather than stalking me continuously."

"Why should I hang out with you?"

But then they began throwing insults at each another for fun.

"Stupid." Sarada began.

"Feminist." Bolt retorted.

"Dense idiot."

"Salad."

"Whisker-face."

"Four-eyes."

"Cry baby."

"Mommy's girl."

"Egghead."

"Nerd."

"Pouty-face."

"Stalker."

"Ugh, I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you." Sarada finally gave up with a smile on her face.

Suddenly, the grandfather clock in Sarada's bedroom rang. It was already six o'clock at night. Meaning, it was time for Bolt to head home.

But before Bolt got to leave their house, a tall figure stood in front of Sarada's bedroom door all of a sudden.

"P-Papa?"

Uchiha Sasuke had just returned home.

Wasting no time, Sarada clung unto her father like a baby who needed carrying.

"Uh — good evening, Uncle Sasuke." Bolt greeted despite the awkwardness. He was clearly interrupting their father-daughter reunion moment.

"Why were you in my daughter's bedroom… Bolt?" Sasuke glared at him with his **death stare** before putting down his daughter.

"Bolt and I were just playing, papa. He's just about to leave."

"Good riddance." Sasuke remarked.

The vigilante shinobi feared that his best friend's son might actually develop a relationship with his princess one day.

True that they're still too young to develop romantic feelings for each other right now, but God knows how Naruto must've raised his kid. Hopefully, Hinata had instilled in him the decency of the Hyuga Clan's noble values rather than his father's attitude as a kid. Sasuke Uchiha hoped.

…

As the young Uzumaki Bolt left the place, he began to realise something.

He has a crush on Sarada Uchiha.


	3. Chapter 3 : A New Leaf

**Quote of the Day:**

_"There probably isn't any meaning in life. Perhaps you can find something interesting to do while you are alive."_

_— Orochimaru_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three:<strong>

**A New Leaf**

_Location: (The Uzumaki Residence)_

Uzumaki Naruto arrived home at late midnight once again. The Orange Hokage was busy helping with the research regarding the mysterious kikaichu that the ANBU had found.

"I'm home-ttebayo!" he announced.

But nobody answered.

Everyone was asleep already.

He made his way towards his bedroom and found Hinata, sound asleep and snoring quietly. It was already eleven at night, Naruto had just realised. What seemed like a whole afternoon of Hokage duties eventually lasted for the whole night.

Naruto sat on the bed beside his wife.

"I'm finally home, Hinata-chan." he whispered to the sleeping Hinata.

Slowly, he extended an arm to reach out for the bangs that fell on her face. He flicked them away, careful not to wake her up from her peaceful slumber.

"Sorry for being a terrible husband, Hinata-chan." he apologised, despite her not hearing him. "But I love you with all my heart, ya' hear me? I love our kids and I love everything about our family. But… I'm sorry I can't be with ya' all the time unlike the way we used to be. Thanks for taking care of Bolt and Himwari for me-tteabyo."

Naruto then gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek. He swore that he just saw his wife blush a little in her sleep after he kissed her.

The Orange Hokage got up and made his way to check on his children. He missed them both, his two little angels.

Himawari was fast asleep on her bed, cuddling her favourite teddy bear toy. She looked so adorable, just like her mother. He gave her a peck on her forehead before moving on to his son's bedroom.

Naruto proceeded to check on Bolt in the next room. He had been terrible to his son for making promises that he would train with him for the whole day. Instead, he had broken that promise and left him alone for himself.

But Bolt wasn't on his bed.

_Where is that kid?_

Suddenly, he heard something snap,

A TRAP!

A bucket of water fell on Naruto's head after he fully opened the door. Bolt had pranked him. The prank reminded him of what he once did to his old Kakashi-sensei back when he first had his team with Sakura and Sasuke. Like father, like son indeed.

"Uzumaki Bolt… you little shit." Naruto muttered under his breath, fuming in rage.

He clenched his fists and stormed outside the house to find his mischievous son.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Uzumaki Residence Garden)<em>

"BOLT! Come out of hiding wherever you are!" Naruto called for his son. He was still soaked in water after he fell for his son's prank.

Surprisingly, the Hokage heard the tree leaves around him rustle.

AMBUSH.

"Hah! You fell into my trap! ATTACK!" Bolt cried out loud.

Two dozen Bolt **shadow clones** leaped from the trees surrounding Naruto and lunged for him.

Naruto couldn't believe what he was seeing. His own son had managed to finally master the jutsu without his own help. He felt proud of his accomplishment but at the same time, irritated of how immature his son still is.

Caught off-guard by the attack, Naruto had no other choice but to evade his son's attempts to land a hit on him.

"GIVE ME A BREAK, BOLT! Why the hell aren't you in bed at this time of the night-ttebayo?!" Naruto howled as he blocked one of the shadow-clone-Bolt's random kicks and punches.

"Hokages are stupid!" one of the Bolt clones said to him.

"You're the worst Hokage ever!" another Bolt shadow clone added.

"A failure!" the third Bolt said as he threw a punch.

The Orange Hokage was left with choice but to do what a father's gotta do.

Naruto: **"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

Using only one hand seal, he produced shadow clones that were twice the number of Bolt's army in order to restrain his _"sons"_ and prevent the conflict at hand from escalating any further.

"Let. Us. GO!" each of the Bolt shadow clones complained and flailed their arms in utmost frustration, trying to break free of the Naruto clone's grasps.

"Cut it out already, Bolt!"

"Never!"

_POOF!_

All of Bolt's shadow clones disappeared, leaving Naruto confused. If all of the "Bolts" a while ago were just shadow clones, then _where is the original Bolt hiding_?

"I GOTCHA' NOW-TTEBASA!" the original Bolt came out of nowhere and charged towards Naruto, ready to hit him with a brute punch on his face.

This Bolt had been observing the original Naruto right from the very beginning. He was just waiting for a chance to strike from the shadows. Bolt's smart tactic earned him a proud smile from his proud Hokage father.

Like Naruto, it seems that Bolt is also inherited his wits as the unpredictable ninja of Konohagakure.

Suddenly, the Hokage's wife intervened Bolt's punch.

Hinata had activated her Byakugan on time and performed a quick **Gentle Fist** taijutsu that can momentarily paralyse her troublemaking son. She's been hiding it under her sleeve in case of emergency times like this.

As a result, her son fell to the ground, unable to move for a couple of seconds due to her taijutsu.

"KNOCK IT OFF YOU TWO!" Hinata yelled at both the father and son. "You just had to wake your mother up in the middle of the night because of your… your stupid pranks!"

As a mother she was always reserved, caring and gentle but when the need arises, Hinata was bat-shit scary. She was soft on the outside, yet hard on the inside. Like a dormant volcano that's ready to erupt any time soon.

"What in the world is wrong with you, Uzumaki Bolt?!" the angry mother asked. "Why did you attack your father?"

"I'm sorry-ttebasa. I — I was just…" Bolt replied once he could finally move himself and sat on the ground.

Naruto dispelled his shadow clones and approached his son as he sat on the ground to face him.

"Hey, Bolt." the Hokage began. "Ya' did it-ttebayo."

"Huh?"

"You mastered the Shadow Clone Jutsu. You figured it all out by yourself even without my help. And I'm proud of you, son." The Hokage gave his son a pat on the head.

_Finally_. Words that the young blonde had always wanted to hear from his own father.

"I'm — I'm sorry for attacking you, dad. I just wanted you to get a payback for leaving me this morning." Bolt apologised.

"Aren't you going to say sorry for _pranking_ me with that bucket of water as well?"

"Oh, that. I didn't do that one myself."

"What do you mean?" Naruto's eyebrow raised.

"Himawari-chan did it for me." the little Uzumaki grinned.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Ninja Academy)<em>

Monday morning finally came and today was the day that the new generation of Genin teams in Konohagakure will be declared in public.

"Good morning, everyone! Today, I Konohamaru-sensei, will be taking your Shino-sensei's place in class for the meantime." the Sarutobi announced.

"Where's Shino-sensei anyway?" a student from the back row asked.

"Your Aburame-sensei's busy discussing pressing matters with the Lord Hokage about something very important." he explained. "So right now, I am the one in-charge of announcing your new Genin teams instead."

Konohamaru searched for a piece of paper in his bag. As he was searching for something, Bolt noticed a book from his bag fall underneath the table. His sensei hadn't noticed.

"Hey, Shikadai." Bolt whispered to the Nara beside him.

"Yeah Bolt?" Shikadai turned lazily to him.

"Did you see the book that fell from sensei's bag?"

"What about that?"

"Let's go grab it after Konohamaru-sensei leaves."

"Here we go again." Shikadai sighed. "Troublesome."

The sensei cleared his throat before announcing.

"Here are the new Genin teams for the current graduating class of Konohagakure's Ninja Academy." Konohamaru announced.

The clamouring of the students at the back row halted abruptly once they heard the announcement.

Bolt knew that he wasn't the dead-last student in the academy but he managed to get average grades. He only flunked his written exams but managed to score very high in Assertiveness assessments and average in other areas.

Because of his average results, Bolt knew that he'd probably be placed along with the smartest and the dumbest kid in class, as a result of being in the middle rank.

"**Team One** will consist of the following," Konohamaru began. "Yamanaka Inojin, Akimichi Cho Cho and Nara Shikadai. You will be under Team Yuhi." referring to the daughter of Yuhi Kurenai and Asuma Sarutobi.

The _Ino-Shika-Cho_ trio, as expected.

Konohamaru's announcement went on and on. Until finally, he arrived to Team 7.

"**Team Seven** will consist of the following students:

Uchiha Sarada, Uzumaki Bolt and …"

_OH YEAH-TTEBASA!_ After hearing that he will be together with his crush, Bolt silently praised his luck.

The sensei continued. "And… Rock Lee Junior."

_Noooo! _Out of all the people that could possibly be in their team, Bolt cursed himself. He may have been teamed up with Sarada-chan but he didn't expect to be in the same team as **bushy-brow junior**.

_SHANAROOO!_ _I'm stuck with two idiots. _Sarada's inner conscience manifested in her subconsciousness.

After Konohamaru finished with announcing all the teams, he instructed them to find their assigned classrooms and report to their respective Team Captains after lunch time.

"Team Seven," Konohamaru called the three. "Meet me at Room 101 after lunch break. I'm your new team captain so be nice. Okay, kids?"

* * *

><p><em>… Lunchtime<em>

Bolt convinced Shikadai to accompany him throughout lunch break despite the fact that they aren't going to be on the same team. The two stayed in the classroom along with some of the other students.

"This sucks. Why can't we be on the same team?" the blonde Uzumaki whined.

"Ino-Shika-Cho, Bolt. Since I hail from the Nara Clan, you can't blame me for being placed in the same team as fatso and pale-skin there." Shikadai muttered, referring to Cho Cho and Inojin. "Troublesome."

"Oh yeah." Bolt remembered. "That book!"

The Uzumaki and the Nara rushed towards the front table and grabbed the fallen book from Konohamaru's bag a while ago.

"It says _Come, Come Paradise_." Bolt read out loud.

"What kind of book name is that?" Shikadai responded.

"Only one way to find out."

Then he started reading the first page that says :

**COME, COME PARADISE**

**by the Pervy Sage**

"The Pervy Sage? That's such a ridiculous name." Shikadai commented as he also read it himself.

But they continued reading anyway.

As they turned to the next couple of pages, they weren't prepared to read what's coming next _(no pun intended)_. Something that was about to rip off their purely innocent minds and boyish fantasies.

* * *

><p><strong>Come, Come Paradise — Page 6 <em>(excerpt)<em>**

_The man leans down and kisses her intensely, his fingers still moving rhythmically inside her moist genitals as his thumb was slowly pressing her sensitive spot._

_His teasing was claiming her soul, pushing her off her limits. The woman's legs begin to stiffen as she pushed against the hand that was fingering her. Then the man gentles his fingers slowly, so that the woman broke free from the brink of her sexual ecstasy._

_She climaxed instantly again and again, falling apart before him whilst screaming his name._

_Without further ado, the man got up and revealed his eight-inch monster before her. Her jaw dropped at the galvanising sight._

_How will it fit her inside?_

_She then positioned herself towards her object of desire. Wetting her lips before placing a kiss at the tip of his hard member, she let her tongue lavish it with her wet mouth._

_His fleshy taste intoxicated her. It was salty, but it was also always a bit different in a good way. The texture of his manhood also amazed her, as well as the light fluid he always released slightly before he would start moaning her name and urging her on._

_The man groaned as she nibbled his erection from the bottom to the top of his shaft._

_She knew exactly how to get him to the tip of the iceberg and push him right over the cliff. She licked and swallowed his whole length, begging for him to release his load into her lustful mouth._

* * *

><p>The two Genins couldn't help but be baffled of what they just read. It was a horrendous image to the minds of two twelve year old boys.<p>

Bolt and Shikadai's noses were starting to bleed. Their once-innocent minds were now tainted with the blemishes of the words from Come, Come Paradise novel.

"Is that what they call _'sex' _?" Bolt whispered curiously, careful to not let anyone hear their talk.

"What the heck, Bolt! Weren't you listening to what we discussed in Semester One about Men's Health? That is when a guy puts his wiener inside a girls'… you know." the Nara explained.

The young Uzumaki pouted. He wasn't listening when they talked about these sorts of stuff in class back then.

Shikadai sighed. "How troublesome."

"What's troublesome?" Inojin suddenly appeared from behind.

"NOTHING." Bolt and Shikadai replied in unison as the Nara tried to hide the book behind his back.

"C'mon you two. What's that book behind you, Shikadai-kun? I can see it from here." Inojin insisted. "Just give it up already."

"Oh well. Since you ask for it, Inojin-_kun_." Shikadai handed over the book as he and Bolt waited for the Yamanaka's reaction.

…

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS BOOK?!" Inojin started to freak out, his nose was also bleeding. After reading that passage, who wouldn't?

His loud reaction caught the attention of two girls who were quietly gossiping near the front row and eating their lunch. Cho Cho Akimichi and Sarada Uchiha were now curious of what the boys were mocking around about.

"Hello, boys." Cho Cho approached the male group along with Sarada. "Care to share what that is all about?"

The three lads weren't so keen on sharing what they just read. Girls are supposed to remain innocent until they get married, at least that's what their parents told them. Telling them about the _Come, Come, Paradise_ scenes wouldn't be such a good idea.

"It's nothing, Cho Cho-chan." Inojin replied sheepishly after closing the book hurriedly.

"Oh really? Then why won't you share it with us if it's _nothing_, Inojin-kun?" the Akimichi continued to hassle him.

"Boys are so stupid." Sarada muttered sullenly.

"I swear, there's nothing in this book ladies." Shikadai added. "Just stuff about the brief history of Sunagakure."

"Ah, the Hidden Sand Village. Must be _very_ interesting. No wonder why Bolt and Shikadai's noses were bleeding after they read it." Cho Cho said sarcastically.

"Then tell us who the first Kazekage of Sunagakure is." the genius Uchiha prodigy challenged the boys.

"It's … Uh…" Shikadai began to panic. He knew that Sarada's the smartest girl in class. "That's… That's my Uncle Gaara's great-great-grandfather! Yeah that's right. My great-great-grand uncle was the first Kazekage of Suna."

"Wrong." Sarada added at once. "His name is Reto-sama and he isn't related to the previous Kazekages by blood. He came from a long-lost clan in Sunagakure that no longer exists."

"Aha! You're lying. We knew it!" Cho Cho exclaimed.

Suddenly, the Akimichi girl lunged towards the unsuspecting Inojin who was holding the book in order to retrieve it. But the Yamanaka was quick enough to pass it to Shikadai.

"Run for it, Shikadai !" Bolt bellowed.

Thus, a chase inside the classroom began.

Shikadai was on the run from Sarada. But when the Nara got cornered on one side of the classroom, he saw Bolt waving his hand and passed the book towards the blonde.

"Here Shikadai!" Bolt called. He caught the book and was now getting chased by Cho Cho.

Despite her body size, the Akimichi was very agile and fast in chasing that even Bolt had trouble outrunning her. He jumped from one table to the next in order to escape her. But then he got cornered by Sarada on the other side.

"Here, Bolt-kun!" Inojin waved from the other side of the classroom near the door.

But.

Bolt threw the book in the wrong direction.

The door opened.

"Hey kids, have you seen a book around here cal—"

_BAM!_

Bolt's throw accidentally landed on the one person whom he didn't want to piss off the most. Konohamaru Sarutobi. His team captain. The impact was relatively strong but it didn't faze the now-angry team captain.

"My book … This is my book." Konohamaru realised that his book was on the hands one of his students. He had ridiculed himself and revealed his hidden, perverted side due to his carelessness. "H-How did you —?"

"Oops." Bolt scratched his head. "S-Sorry-ttebasa?"

"UZUMAKI BOLT!" Konohamaru yelled. "YOU AND THE REST OF TEAM 7 WILL SKIP LUNCH AND COME WITH ME… RIGHT NOW!"

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Hokage's Office)<em>

A meeting was held by the Hokage himself. Naruto called for representatives from some of the well-known clans in Konohagakure.

Naruto himself represented the Uzumaki.

Sasuke represented the Uchiha.

Shikamaru represented the Nara.

Choji represented the Akimichi.

Ino represented the Yamanaka.

Hiashi and Hanabi represented the Hyuga.

Shino represented the Aburame.

"I've gathered us all here to discuss the agenda of today's meeting." the Orange Hokage began. "Mainly about this new _pest _problem that the country is currently dealing with."

"A pest problem?" Ino asked.

Shikamaru, the adviser proceeded to give the rest of the clan representatives details about what they knew about the kikaichu problem so far.

"If this goes unattended, there's a possibility that these new breed of genetically enhanced kikaichu will spread a plague and wipe out our whole race." Naruto announced. "That's why I chose us all to gather here so that we may brainstorm on how to deal with this present dilemma."

"Hokage-sama," Aburame Shino began in his matter-of-factly voice. "If you say that these kikaichu are immune against elemental jutsus, then I guess my clan will be able to fight insects against our own insects. Why? Because it's only logical to assume so."

"You have a point, Shino-san. But we still don't know where these insects originated from. Or who created them to be exact." Choji made his point.

"I say we focus on finding the one responsible for this." Hiashi Hyuga spoke. "If he or she created this mess, then they'd know how to stop it, won't they?"

"Hn." Sasuke grunted. "Isn't it obvious?"

"What do you mean, Sasuke?" Naruto asked the Uchiha.

"Who else do you think has reasonable knowledge about altering the genetic predisposition and chakra composition of living organisms?" Sasuke answered. "The answer lies before your very eyes, gentlemen. I am a product of his past experiment."

"No way." it dawned on the Yamanaka.

"Orochimaru." Naruto revealed it for everyone else.

"That treacherous snake. We should've caught him while we had the chance during the Fourth Shinobi War." Hiashi slammed his fist on the table.

"With all due respect, Hiashi-sama." Naruto addressed his father-in-law. "But he remains innocent until proven guilty. We still have no evidence that points to Orochimaru in order for us to accuse him guilty and responsible for this crime."

"Hokage-sama's right. For us to accuse someone of such crimes would be blatantly unreasonable. But come to think of it, Orochimaru _is_ a criminal himself already." Shikamaru retorted. "Therefore we have the right to capture and interrogate him."

"Allow me to remind us all that he vanished after our war with the Ten-Tails." Ino added. "Who knows where he could be hiding now? That snake's difficult to find."

"Easy. If we find out where the kikaichu are, then we find him. Or whoever's behind all of this." the Nara said at once.

"Then it is settled." Naruto declared. "We find the source of the threat before effectively dealing with it. Meeting adjourned."

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Room 101)<em>

The new Team 7 was silent.

Their sensei was still fuming in rage after what Bolt had done just now. Uchiha Sarada couldn't help but execrate about the ill fate that has befallen upon her, being stuck with two idiots, more importantly Bolt.

On the other hand, Uzumaki Bolt kept on looking through the window and observed what was happening outside to prevent himself from dwelling his mind over what he did a while ago.

Rock Lee Jr remained as youthful as ever. Patiently waiting for his sensei to calm down as he sat on the chair facing him attentively. His bushy brows remained in place as usual.

_… after 3 minutes_

"So." Konohamaru finally calmed down. "I am Konohamaru Sarutobi, as all of you may have known already. I am your Team Captain from now on. Am I right, _Bolt_?"

He glared at the Uzumaki who threw his Come, Come Paradise book unto his face.

"Y-Yes, sensei." Bolt stammered.

"Good that you're aware." his sensei remarked.

But then, Lee Jr raised his hand. "I've got a question, sensei."

"Yes, Lee Junior?"

"Aren't we going to have our team introductions?"

"That's where I'm getting to." Konohamaru said. "Okay. For our team introductions, I want us all to say our full names, what our specialties as ninjas are and other extra things about ourselves."

The three looked at him attentively.

"I'll start off. My name is … you know who I am already but you can call me Konohamaru-sensei. As a shinobi, I specialise in the use of Fire Release jutsu and the Rasengan. Extra things about me — well I uh… I like training and reading books."

Bolt began to snicker once he heard the word _'books'_. He knew that his sensei was a closet pervert.

Konohamaru added. "And I hate students who laugh while their teacher is introducing himself." referring to the blonde in particular. "Now Bolt, why don't you start off next?"

"Sure, sensei." the blonde gladly accepted. "My name is Uzumaki Bolt. As a shinobi, I am quiet good with cloning jutsu although I still don't know any elemental ninjutsus yet. I like to prank people and I also like ramen. I hate Hokages-ttebasa! Especially the current Hokage! He sucks."

Then Konohamaru turned to the girl sitting next in row.

"I am Uchiha Sarada. As a kunoichi, I'm very competent with my skills in medical ninjutsu and my knowledge about several things in the ninja world. I like helping my mother do the gardening at home and I hate stupid boys." she finished with a quick glance towards Bolt.

Finally, the sensei turned to the bushy brow.

"Greetings, fellow teammates." he stood up proudly as he introduced himself. "My name is Rock Lee Jr. As a shinobi, the power of youth burns brightly within my veins as I am skilled with taijutsu in the arts of the **Strong Fist**. I like to spend my youthful days, training with my ageless father, Rock Lee Senior. I hate people who reek of un-youthfulness, as it opposes to my eternally youthful spirit and graceful facade."

_What did he just say?_ Was all Bolt could ask himself.

_This will be interesting… I guess._ Konohamaru-sensei thought.

_Oh joy._ Sarada sighed sarcastically.

"Well, well. Now that we all know a little bit of our team members, you know what to expect next. Right?" their Team Captain declared. "Tomorrow, I expect you to report to the Team 7 Training Grounds for your first-ever Genin Test."

"Wait. There's a genin test?" Bolt's eyes widened at the revelation.

"Of course there is," Konohamaru added at once. "If you fail this test, then you won't become a genin. Which means, that you get to spend another year in the Academy once more."

"No fair! We've worked hard to get this far, sensei." the blonde moaned.

"Life's not always fair, Bolt. Deal with it."

_SHANAROOO!_ Inner-Sarada appeared. _Why doesn't this annoying blondie shut up for once?!_

"I want us all to be there by eight in the morning tomorrow. Did you all hear me, kids?" Konohamaru asked.

"Got it, sensei." the three replied in unison.

From then on, the new Team 7 was formed.

The rise of a new generation of ninjas.

A new leaf.


	4. Chapter 4 : The Berry Test

**Quote of the Day:**

_"When a man learns to love, he must bear the risk of hatred." — Madara Uchiha_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four:<strong>

**The Berry Test**

_Location: (Team 7 Training Grounds)_

Shafts of the early morning sunlight caressed the giant trees and leaves of the surrounding forests of the Hidden Leaf, spreading up to the smallest holly bushes and the grassy plains of the Team 7 Training Grounds.

Uzumaki Bolt was the first one to arrive, excited for his first ever Genin test. But most of all, he was in the mood to do so because Sarada will be in the same team as him.

Moments later, Uchiha Sarada finally arrived.

The Uzumaki couldn't contain himself and waved towards the Uchiha with a warm welcoming smile as a greeting.

"Morning, Sarada-chan!" Bolt beamed cheerfully.

Sarada didn't respond, pretending to ignore him. She sat on a bench two metres away from him instead. But this didn't discourage the blonde Uzumaki. Like his parents, Bolt's ninja way was to never give up, not only in missions but that includes his love interest as well.

Bolt began to approach Sarada and stood in front of her.

"Hey Sarada-chan, are ya' up for the test today-ttebasa? I'm so pumped for this, ya' know! We'll finally become official ninjas and go on missions after we pass this!" he said to her with a wide grin on his face.

"This is _just _a Genin Test, idiot. It's not even the Chunin Exams yet." she finally spoke. Something seemed to be bothering her and Bolt could feel it.

"Is there something that's bothering you, Sarada-chan? You seem to be in a bad mood today." the concerned blonde asked.

"Nothing." Sarada denied as she turned away from him. But the persistent blonde did something totally unexpected.

"Reeeeally? Oh_ reeeeeeeaaally_?"

Bolt squinted his eyes and moved his face _really_ close towards hers, as if he was trying to squeeze out every single secret that she was hiding from him.

"Wh-what are you doing, Bolt? S-STOP DOING THAT!" the Uchiha stuttered at the awkwardness. Their faces are almost in contact.

"You're hiding something from me, Sarada-chan and I'm trying to read your mind." he muttered, moving his face even closer to her. "I am now reading your mind …"

The close proximity of their faces made the Uchiha blush.

"MOVE YOUR ANNOYING FACE AWAY FROM ME YOU IDIOT!" Sarada complained and pushed the blonde's face away from her in a shoving manner.

"OW! I was just joking!" Bolt muttered as he fell to the ground after Sarada shoved his face away.

"Try moving your stupid face that close to me one more time and — and I'LL BREAK YOUR NOSE!" she yelled. "Boys are so stupid."

"I'm sorry, alright? I was just trying to cheer you up, Sarada-chan. I thought it would be funny." Bolt began to make his pouty-face as he continued to sit on the ground in front of her, disappointed of his wasted efforts.

Realising what he was trying to do, Sarada began to feel sorry for him. True that Bolt can be annoying at times but his intentions were entirely good. Perhaps he didn't mean to make things awkward a while ago, she thought.

"Quit sulking, Bolt. I'm not in a mood for laughs today okay? Just don't make it any worse for me. I didn't mean to hit you." Sarada explained.

"Why? What happened? You can tell me anything ya' know. I'll always have time to listen to you, Sarada-chan." Bolt got up from the ground and sat next to her on the bench. Surprisingly, she didn't move away from him.

"Ugh, fine." Sarada sighed and turned to the persistent blonde. "It's my papa—"

But before she got to finish her sentence, Lee Jr interrupted their conversation with his dramatic entrance, much to Bolt's annoyance.

"HELLO, MY YOUTHFUL COMRADES!"

Lee Jr greeted his teammates as he bolted towards their direction and performed a 360 somersault before gracefully landing in front of the two astonished ninjas.

"Morning, Lee." Bolt sullenly greeted the bushy brow.

"Ah, I can sense a steam of youthfulness coming from within you, Bolt-san." then Lee Jr turned to Sarada. "But why do you look so un-youthfully _glum_ today, Sarada-chan?"

"What did you just say?" Sarada lifted her glasses up and gave Lee Junior a daunting glare.

No one has ever called Sarada '_glum' _before. Not now, especially that she wasn't in the mood for jokes. No one dares insult the genius Uchiha prodigy that way.

Never.

Ever.

Do it.

_SHANAROOO! _With a single swing of her fist, Sarada threw a power-packed punch towards the bushy brow who had the nerve to call her _'glum'_. Her punch sent him flying towards the other side of the Training Grounds and bashed his back to a tree.

"S-Sarada-chan you…" Bolt gulped after witnessing the scene. And as of today, he learned a very valuable lesson. Never_ insult _Uchiha Sarada.

"Boys are so stupid, I swear." she muttered, her voice almost inaudible.

Suddenly, they heard a voice coming from behind them.

"You kids are warming up already? I haven't even started the Genin test yet." Konohamaru Sarutobi was silently observing his team from the shadows all along but he didn't want them to be aware of his presence.

_… a minute later_

Konohamaru stood in front of his team as he lit up a cigarette, his lighter making the flicking noise which sounded like Team 7's countdown to their Genin Test. The Sarutobi picked up his smoking habit from his late grandfather the Third Hokage and his deceased uncle, Sarutobi Asuma.

Old habits die hard.

"As you may have all known, you three are already Genins. Although not yet official as a team." Konohamaru announced as he puffed out a smoke from his cigar. "You may have the basic skills required of a ninja as of now, but in order to successfully accomplish missions when you get into the _real_ world, the most important factor is teamwork. That's what being a true Genin means."

The three ninjas listened carefully, eager to hear their sensei's wise words of wisdom.

Konohamaru continued. "Ninja teams in Konoha exist because it is through the consistent teamwork of our shinobi forces that the Hidden Leaf Village still stands proud. If people don't help one another, then there will be no villages in the first place."

"Sensei." Bolt raised his hand. "Sorry to interrupt but can't we just skip to the Genin Test already? I'm bored."

Sarada rolled her eyes the moment she heard the blonde whine. _Boys are really stupid_. His impatience and idiocy annoyed her the most.

"WILL YOU SHUT UP AND BE PATIENT, BOLT?!" Konohamaru blurted out at the impatient blonde. "Anyways, what I am telling you right now is of utmost importance. Because in my Genin Test, you will need to demonstrate teamwork in order to pass."

The Sarutobi picked up something from his pockets and revealed two strands of short ropes. The three genins watched their sensei in confusion. What were they going to do with those ropes?

Unexpectedly, the jounin instructor approached them and tied the ropes to join their hands with one another.

**Bolt's left hand was tied to Sarada's right hand.**

**Lee Jr's right hand was tied to Sarada's left hand.**

Leaving the Uchiha no choice but to be stuck in the middle of the two shinobi whom she considers to be "stupid boys".

"Why are we tied together, Konohamaru-sensei? It's so hard to move my arm around freely." the puzzled bushy brow wondered.

_SHANAROOO!_ Inner-Sarada appeared. _Why am I in between these two idiots?! I can't move my arms freely!_

"Exactly my point. That is the challenge of this Genin Test." Konohamaru explained. "Now, for the part that you've all been waiting for. The announcement of your official Genin Test will finally commence."

"Just tell us already-ttebasa!" Bolt complained.

"Alright, alright. Geez." the Sarutobi puffed smoke from his cigar before continuing. "It's simple. Just follow the path of this forest ten kilometres from here. _Each one of you_ will need to retrieve ten ripe blueberries from one the fruit-bearing trees found on the other side of the forest. Then return to me within THREE hours. **If anyone fails to return exactly ten berries, then that person fails.** Got it?"

"Is that all, sensei? Then I bet my youthful spirits will be able to pass this test easily!" Lee Jr exclaimed.

Lee Jr forgot that one of his hands were tied to Sarada's and accidentally raised his arms, landing a hit on the Uchiha's jaw. This has been the second time of the day that he had done something to piss her off.

"Why you …" Sarada glared at him dauntingly.

"S-Sorry, Sarada-chan." the bushy brows apologised sheepishly.

"But WAIT. There's more." the jounin added at once. "There are two certain rules that you all must to strictly abide for this test:** Rule number one**, you mustn't untie those ropes. And lastly, rule **number two** is the most paramount rule, you must NEVER, EVER land any part of your body on the ground, got that? Not even a foot."

"WHAT?!" the three genin's mouths gaped at the revelation. This would be harder than what they thought it would be. How would they be able to get there without even walking on foot?

The jounin resumed. "Yes, kids. You can't walk on the ground but you are allowed to walk on top of trees." Konohamaru threw away a cigarette butt and crushed it with his foot.

"Can I just use my Shadow Clones, sensei?" Bolt asked.

"No."

"Whyyyyyy? That's not fair-ttebasa! How are we supposed to get there quickly if we aren't even allowed to walk or get help from clones?" the blonde Uzumaki started whining once more.

"Rules are rules, Bolt." Konohamaru gave them all a wink before declaring. "So without further ado, let the** Berry Test** begin!"

* * *

><p><em>… 30 minutes later<em>

Darting from tree branch to the next tree branch proved to be a struggle. Especially if the three of you are tied up together. What sounded like an easy test was actually not so easy.

"Move quicker, Bolt! You're falling behind! We've only got three hours to complete this task." Sarada scolded the blonde as they landed on one tree branch.

"Then stop dragging my left hand with yours. I can't balance myself properly if you always pull me!" Bolt retaliated.

"And you," she turned to Lee Jr, "Slow down a bit. You're too fast. We need to jump from tree to tree _together_, otherwise one of us might fall down and trip out of balance." Sarada explained, stressing the word "together".

"My youthfulness just gets in my way. Besides, this is my normal speed. The real question is, aren't you two moving too slow?" Lee Jr retorted.

"SHUT UP-ttebasa ! Quit showing off bushy-brows!"

_SHANAROOO!_ inner-Sarada couldn't help but be infuriated of the two dense idiots that had been teamed up with her.

Bolt was too slow, Lee Jr was moving too fast. Since she was the _brains_ of the group, it became her job to act as the Team Leader and at the same time, keeping the team together to avoid miniature conflicts from escalating.

"Knock it off, you two! Arguing won't help us." Sarada sighed. "Okay, at the count of three we must leap together to the next branch, okay? One, Two, Three … Jump!"

Suddenly.

_CRACK!_

"AAAAHH!"

As the three were about to leap for the next tree, the branch that they were currently standing on suddenly snapped.

Luckily, Bolt was quick enough to grab a kunai from his pocket and was able to use the weapon to keep the three of them from falling to the ground by piercing it on the tree to serve as leverage.

"Whew! That was close." Lee Jr wiped a sweat away from his bushy brows. His feet was a metre away from touching the ground.

"Wh-what now, Sarada-chan? My kunai won't hold for too long." Bolt asked for help. His kunai was slowly slipping away from his hand.

_C'mon Sarada, think, think, think…_ The Uchiha thought hard.

If not for Bolt, the three of them could've fallen to the ground and failed the test. Using her strength, she managed to hold Lee Jr up to keep his feet from reaching the ground below them.

* * *

><p>Konohamaru Sarutobi was watching the three ninjas from afar, trying not to make them aware of his presence.<p>

As he observed the three of them, he began to analyse how he should effectively deal with them as their jounin instructor and Team Captain.

_Bolt_. Despite being brash and careless at times, the blonde Uzumaki had quick reflexes although he didn't have the smarts to comprehend verbal theories like his father when Naruto was a kid. His unpredictable wits make him hard to read and it is his greatest asset as a shinobi.

_Sarada_. The Rookie of the Year, as expected from the daughter of Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, the smartest girl back when she was in the academy herself. But despite her smarts and prodigious talents, she is quick to anger and can be violent due to that.

_Lee Jr_. Although a dead-last in the Academy, he perseveres and endures and is the best taijutsu user among the three. But he can be quiet insensitive and blunt, often leading him to say wrong things to a person.

"Well, this will be interesting."

Konohamaru remarked as he grabbed another cigarette from the pack and lit it with his lighter. He continued to observe his students with a sadistic grin on his face.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the three were still hanging on a tree. It's been minutes now and Bolt's hands were getting numb due to gripping his kunai for too long whilst his other tied-hand held Sarada to keep her from falling.<p>

"Do any of you remember the Tree Climbing Exercise in school?" Sarada asked the other two.

"I'm bad at chakra control. Sorry, Sarada-chan." Bolt replied.

"Me too." Lee Jr added.

"Ugh, then what do you two idiots know?! We won't be able to get out of this situation unless someone can climb this tree to get us to the upper branch!" But then an idea suddenly flashed in the Uchiha's mind. "Okay, I got another plan."

Using her strength, she hoisted Lee Jr up and started swinging him.

"What are you doing, Sarada-chan?" Lee Jr wondered why the Uchiha was swinging him like a pendulum using her hand that was tied to his.

"Grab hold of the next branch using your feet. Can you do that?" she asked. "I'm going to swing you and once you get there, pull the rest of us towards you."

Then they began to execute the plan. Somersaults and acrobatics were just Lee Jr's specialty. As the Uchiha swung him, he focused his body to find the right momentum in order to reach the next branch.

_… 1 hour later_

The team made it through the struggle a while ago.

And finally, they arrived at their destination.

The three attached ninjas started gathering ten berries each and filled their pockets with it. But the berries were too many to fit in Sarada's small pockets so she just carried some of them with her hands.

As of now, they only have an hour and a half left to get back to their sensei with ten berries each. Once again, they leapt from tree to tree in unison since their hands were tied together. Their teamwork has quiet improved compared to the first time that they did it. No one was complaining and it was as if their bodies' were in synch.

But unknown to them, Konohamaru had just begun the real test.

* * *

><p>"So they made it this far." the jounin chuckled as he watched the three from afar. "Impressive. But now it's time to stir things up a bit."<p>

Traps.

Something that'll cause chaos in the team.

* * *

><p><em>… Two hours and 45 minutes later<em>

Everything was going fine for the three ninjas. They're half way through and they'll finally become an official team after they give the berries back to Konohamaru-sensei.

The three nins were not having any trouble at all in getting back to their sensei at this rate. But suddenly.

_BOOOM!_

An explosion triggered from behind them. Stepping on certain branches caused the traps to activate. It didn't take long before the three ninjas began to figure out that their sensei had set up traps for them on their way back.

"NOOO!" Shocked of the sudden explosions, the Uchiha suddenly let one of the berries from her hand slip. She tried to reach out for the falling berry but it was too late. The fruit had already made its way to the ground, making it impossible for them to get there. She didn't warn the others yet as they were busy running from the traps.

One berry.

Gone.

"Let's GO!" Bolt mumbled random words in panic, dragging the two others along with him. Lee Jr was also surprised of the sudden explosions that bolted out of the blue but was quick to snap out of it.

…

Once the explosions halted, the three ninjas landed on a branch safely to get a rest and catch their breath.

"Nononono." Sarada kept on muttering to herself. Her lips were starting to get paler. She was shaking and the perceptive blonde Uzumaki noticed her hand shaking.

"What's the matter, Sarada-chan? Why are you shaking?" Bolt asked in concern, panting. His teammate's onyx-black eyes were now full of tension and trepidation.

Sarada held out the other hand that she used to hold the berries. The bushy brow and Bolt began to figure out what was wrong.

Nine.

She only had nine berries left.

And their Konohamaru-sensei had told him that if one of them fails to bring back **exactly TEN berries**, he was going to fail that person.

"L-Let's go and get a berry back, Sarada-chan! Right, Lee-san? We can still go back and get her berries." Bolt asked.

"But Bolt it's already fifteen minutes 'til —." But Lee Jr's words were interrupted by the blonde.

"NO! Sarada-chan is not getting left behind! SHE IS PASSING THIS TEST WITH US!" Bolt bellowed in anger.

Sarada couldn't help but cry in frustration and utter devastation. She was the Rookie of the Year but she was careless enough to let a berry slip from her hand because of some explosion that shocked her.

"H-Here Sarada-chan. Take one of my berries instead. I— I don't care if I don't make it. Here take it."

The Uzumaki said as he kindly offered her one of his berries to the weeping Uchiha. To him it didn't matter if he was going to pass or not. She mattered to him more than anything else.

"Here, Sarada-chan." Lee Jr followed. He was hesitant at first but there's just something about this situation that required him to perform an act of kindness. "It's unyouthful of me to just let a teammate fall behind." He offered her a berry as well.

"But — But you two wouldn't pass if — if you give me your berries." Sarada sobbed.

"If one of us doesn't make it, then we all wouldn't make it. As a team, we're all in this together." Bolt said to her to console her.

Lee Jr added. "Bolt-san is right! Without your youthful intelligence a while ago, we wouldn't have made it this far." He proceeded to offer her a berry from his hand.

Suddenly, the three ninjas heard someone clap from the next tree behind them.

_Clap, clap, clap._

It was their sensei.

"Congratulations." Konohamaru said to the three.

"S-Sensei?" the blonde wondered. "What are you doing here? The Training Grounds are still a kilometre away."

"I've been observing you three since the very beginning." the jounin explained. "Aaand you all just passed my Berry Test with flying colours!"

"But sensei — I …" Sarada held out her hand in order to show her sensei that she only had nine berries.

"Konohamaru-sensei, Sarada-chan has all ten berries! I failed this test. See? I only have nine." Bolt immediately added as he placed one of his berries on Sarada's hands.

Konohamaru shook his head and puffed out a smoke from his cigarette. Then he let out a loud laughter.

"You three don't get it don't you? If I say you ALL passed, then you all pass!" the sensei announced.

"How?" Lee Jr asked.

The Berry Test.

A variation to Kakashi's Bell Test.

"This test was meant to test not only teamwork, but it was meant to teach you that in a team, there will sometimes be someone who's going to screw up and it will be the job of the others to _not _leave that someone behind." Konohamaru explained. "But most of all, it was meant to teach you one important thing that will be significant for the rest of your lives as ninjas."

"What's that, sensei?" Sarada muttered.

"**Self-sacrifice.**" the jounin added with a smile on his face after puffing out a smoke. "You've demonstrated that quality to me by giving your berries to Sarada despite knowing that you two would fail."

True indeed.

The Shinobi world might not be for the faint of heart nor those who cannot survive the harsh realities of this world. But a true shinobi knows how to set aside their own personal interests for the sake of his comrades and those who are dear to him.

A noble act of self-sacrifice is one of the most important qualities that defines a true ninja.

And Team 7 had just learned their very first lesson from their sensei.

"Congratulations you three. You may now wear your Konoha Forehead Protectors with pride."

Bolt couldn't believe what he just heard. He passed. He finally did it. At last, he can finally prove to his father that he is worthy of being the Hokage's son. Perhaps his rank as an official Genin now might prompt his father to spend more time training him.

Sarada was too surprised to say anything. She thought that she was going to fail. These two idiots whom she considered to be worthless turned out to be her saving grace.

Lee Jr on the other hand couldn't keep his youthful excitement. Even though he was a dead-last student, it didn't matter now because he had just earned his official title as Genin. Something that he could finally tell his father, Rock Lee Sr about and boast about his youthful victory.

"ALRIGHT-TTEBASA! WE DID IT!" Bolt exclaimed as he jumped in joy.

_CRACK!_

Once again.

The branch that the three were standing on snapped once more due to the blonde's jumps. Unknown to them, the branch that they stood on was already rotten.

"NOT AGAAIIN!"

But what was about to happen next was beyond the unexpected.

Sarada Uchiha was never curious about why some other girls were so in to boys with their girly crushes and admiring them. She thought that the male-species were stupid. Boys are stupid as what she always says.

But.

Then.

The fall from the tree did something to change her mind.

**Bolt Uzumaki had kissed her.**

Their accidental fall made the blonde Uzumaki fall on top of her and their lips were now touching each other. She looked into the blonde's cerulean blue eyes that stared at her own onyx ones displaying a mutual feeling of surprise. His lips were soft on her own and she began to feel her pulse race, her face flush and her body paralysed.

She was helpless.

"How youthful! The springtime of youth has finally blossomed into the sweet flowers of young love." Lee Jr turned around to see the two kiss. His rope finally detached from Sarada's hands whilst they fell to the ground.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING?! YOU'RE TOO YOUNG TO BE DOING THAT!" the jounin instructor yelled from the tree on top at the two down below.

And that was how Uchiha Sarada and Uzumaki Bolt had their first kiss.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (The Uchiha Residence)<em>

The jounin instructor dismissed Team 7 after they finally passed the test, leaving the three of them to go on their separate ways back home.

Sarada couldn't help but feel awkward with the blonde, ever since they had their first kiss.

After Bolt landed on her and kissed her, she shoved his face off with a power-packed _SHANAROOO_ punch, which detached the rope that was tying their hands together, sending the Uzumaki flying metres away from her.

As she approached their house, she saw her father sitting on a chair in their front porch as if he was waiting for her return. When Sasuke saw her, the vigilante shinobi stood up to greet her daughter with a wide fatherly hug.

"Welcome home, Salad." Uchiha Sasuke said as he hugged his daughter. "How was your day?"

"I'm finally a Genin, papa. I passed my Genin test!" Sarada replied cheerfully.

"That's my girl. Congratulations! I knew that you'd make it. I had no doubts because you are an Uchiha just like me." he said to her with pride as he pinched her nose. "Listen Salad, Papa's got something to tell you."

"What's that?" But then Sarada noticed that her father is on his shinobi outfit once more which could only mean one thing. "Are you leaving again, Papa? But — But you just came home the other day."

"Salad, I —"

"Why can't you just stay?! It's — it's not fair."

Sasuke looked at his daughter with pitifull, fatherly eyes. He couldn't blame her for being mad at him. After all, it's his fault as to why he chose to leave Konoha and go on a solitary journey by himself.

"Papa will be back soon. Okay? But for now he must leave again." he poked his daughter's forehead, just like what he used to do with Sakura before.

Sarada was speechless. But beneath her glasses, her onyx eyes screamed of longing and disappointment that her father had to go once again.

But then she had to ask him something before he leaves. Something important.

"Papa, can I ask you something before you leave?"

"Anything, my princess."

"Who was your first kiss?" the curious Sarada asked.

The question caught the vigilante off guard. How in the world is he supposed to explain to his daughter that his first kiss was with a boy? Most of all, with the Seventh Hokage? He didn't want his own daughter to think of him as un-manly when he was her age.

"Oh." Sasuke cleared his throat. "I — uh — I can't remember, Salad. Your papa kissed so many _girls_ before he kissed your mama a long time ago." he grinned, lying.

"So, you were a womaniser." Sarada murmured.

Her answer earned a chuckle from Sasuke. "Why do you ask? Did someone finally kiss my princess?"

"Wh-what? NO!" Sarada denied. "No, papa. Just curious."

Sasuke decided not to press his daughter into telling him more. It's the first time that Sarada had asked him that type of question. Looks like his little princess was finally maturing into a woman. Asking the real questions.

"Well, take care of your mama for me, alright? Take care, Salad." the vigilante shinobi gave his daughter a peck on her forehead before heading off on his solitary journey alone once more.


	5. Chapter 5 : Confessions

**Quote of the Day:**

_"In the end, everyone is alone. Right?"_

_— Tenten_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five:<strong>

**Confessions and Misunderstandings**

_Location: (Hokage's office)_

The jounin instructors of the new generation of Ninja Teams were expected to report to the Hokage's office once they finish giving their tests. They were instructed to report to the Hokage whether their respective teams made it through or not, as usual.

Shikamaru was tasked to read out the results handed down to him by each of the Team Captains.

"Team One. Passed." the adviser smiled, knowing that his son Shikadai passed. "Members include Nara Shikadai, Yamanaka Inojin and Akimichi Cho Cho. Team One is under the leadership of Yuhi Tokine."

Naruto nodded towards the daughter of Asuma and Kurenai in acknowledgement.

"Team Two. Failed."

"Team Three. Failed."

"Team Four. Failed."

"Team Five. Failed."

"Team Six. Passed." Shikamaru's face lightened up after seeing the word _passed_. "Members include Aburame Sora, Hyuga Takeshi and Inuzuka Yuuto. Team Six is under the leadership of Aburame Shino."

"Team Seven…"

The Orange Hokage listened carefully. He had to know whether his son had passed or not.

"Passed." his adviser announced. "Members include Uzumaki Bolt, Uchiha Sarada and Rock Lee Jr. Team Seven is under the leadership of Sarutobi Konohamaru."

After hearing the rest of the reports, only three out of nine teams passed in total, much to Naruto's disappointment. But the Hokage knew that it was probably for the best. Their team captain's must not pass the teams who are not ready to face the tough challenges of the real Shinobi World.

"Congratulations, boss. Your son made it." Konohamaru stayed behind after the other Team Captains left.

"You think Bolt is ready?"

"I'm sure he is. Do you doubt my judgement?"

"Of course not, Konohamaru." Naruto sighed. "You are their Team Captain after all and it's your duty to protect my son as well as help him grow into a mature and full-pledged shinobi. You think you can handle him?"

"I've got to be honest with you, boss. Your Bolt might be a pain in the ass but I see the old _you_ in him. I see the new number one unpredictable shinobi of the Leaf. So don't worry, he'll be fine. Bolt will do great things… one day." the Sarutobi began to light up a cigarette from his pocket.

Naruto smiled at his response.

Like father, like son.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Uzumaki Residence)<em>

It was already late in the afternoon when Uzumaki Bolt came home. After passing his Genin Test and most of all, sharing his first kiss with Sarada, he ran back to his house like a madman who just broke loose of his cage. He arrived in time to witness his mother, training his younger sister in the arts of the Hyuga's signature Gentle Fist.

"The calming state of your mind, the balance of your breath."

Hinata took in a deep breath whilst she performed a Gentle Fist taijutsu and as Himawari also followed her movements.

"A gentle poise and graceful strength. Inner peace and oneness with your body. That is what the **Gentle Fist** is all about." Hinata and Himawari were too focused in meditating that they failed to notice his presence.

"Mom, I'm home." Bolt interrupted. The mother and daughter discontinued their training session after hearing him.

"Big brother! Your back!" Himawari rushed to greet her older brother with a wide hug.

"Welcome home, son. How was the test?" his mother asked.

"I'm finally a Genin-ttebasa! See? See this? I did it! I'm finally an official Genin!" Bolt said as he took his Forehead Protector from his pocket and wore it on his forehead with a smug look on his face.

"Congratulations, Bolt-kun." Hinata approached her son and gave him a hug along with Himawari. "I'm sure that your father will be so proud of you once he hears of this."

"Is dad not home yet?" he asked with a pout on his face.

"I'm afraid that your daddy won't be home until tomorrow. He is busy, you know that." Hinata said. "But I'm sure that your grandfather would also be proud of you. Do you want to join me and your sister tomorrow? We'll be visiting the Hyuga Estate to see your grandpa."

"Oh uh — I guess I can't mom, sorry. Konohamaru-sensei says that we have to meet up at the Training Grounds again in the morning." Bolt respectfully declined.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Team 7 Training Grounds)<em>

The next day came and as usual, Bolt was always the first one to arrive at the training grounds. He was excited to hear about their first mission and see the girl of his dreams, Uchiha Sarada, first and foremost. The blonde Uzumaki knew that things might be a little bit awkward between him and the Uchiha but what can he do? They're both on the same team.

Moments later, the Uchiha arrived. And as usual, she sat on a bench further away from him. An air of slight awkwardness suddenly enwreathed the windy, summer atmosphere between the two Genins.

No one was talking.

Only the chirping of the early-morning birds and the swaying of the tree leaves filled the hushed environment with light noises.

Then Lee Jr arrived. He started off his day by pointing out about how un-youthful the two of his teammates were and began to tease them both of what happened yesterday, earning him another punch from the ill-tempered Uchiha.

"Good morning, team! Huddle up." Konohamaru suddenly leapt out from a tree around the Training Grounds.

Konohamaru gathered his team around in a circle for the briefing of their first ever official mission as a Genin Team. The Sarutobi lit up a cigar from his pockets before proceeding to give out the details.

"Are we going on our first mission today, sensei?" the impatient Uzumaki asked.

"Not today." the jounin replied after he puffed out a smoke.

"But why are we here then?" Lee Jr wondered.

"Our first mission as a team begins tomorrow. The reason why I asked us all to meet up here is so that I may inform you of what's going to happen next." Konohamaru went on to give the rest of the details to his team.

"So we're leaving the Leaf Village tomorrow?! REALLY?" Bolt's eyes widened at his sensei's declaration.

"U-huh, your first mission will be held at the Land of Sound. Also known as —"

"The Land of Rice fields." Sarada interrupted before her sensei could finish. The Uchiha prodigy was a natural genius, as expected of her lineage.

"Correct, Sarada." Konohamaru gave her a thumbs up as an approval. "Today, your job is to prepare the necessary things that you need for tomorrow's journey. Our trip would take about a day and a half to get there. So bring your camping materials and get your gear on, kids. Any questions?"

Bolt raised his hand.

"Yes, Bolt?"

"Can I bring ramen?" the Uzumaki asked.

Sarada made a disgruntled noise at the back of her throat after hearing what the blonde said. _Boys are so stupid_. She thought.

"Genins don't being ramen on missions, Bolt. We eat what we hunt on our way. No ramen or any cup noodles." Konohamaru sighed.

"Darn it-ttebasa." Bolt muttered silently.

"We will meet at the Hokage's office at seven-thirty sharp tomorrow for more info about the mission. Got that?" the Sarutobi announced.

"Got it, sensei." the three replied in unison.

"You are now dismissed. Except you, Bolt." he added.

Lee Jr and Sarada left the training grounds while the young Uzumaki remained, much to his confusion. With a pouting face, he turned to his sensei. Bolt was disenchanted at the fact that he isn't allowed to bring his favourite food.

"Why am I still here, sensei?" the blonde asked.

"I'm gonna have to ask you a favour, if that is okay of you." Konohamaru then puffed out a smoke.

"What is it?"

"You know uh — is your Aunt Hanabi still single?"

"AHA!" Bolt's expression suddenly turned back to his mischievous side. "YOU LIKE MY AUNT HANABI ! Oooh. _Sensei has a crush. Sensei has a crush._" the blonde started teasing in a singing manner.

"ANSWER MY QUESTION, DAMN IT!" Konohamaru snapped.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"Whatever." the jounin threw out his cigarette butt and squashed it with his foot. "It's not like those snotty Hyugas will accept someone like me, coming from a not-so-fancy clan. I doubt she'll even bat an eye on me anyways."

"C'mon Konohamaru-sensei. To never give up is my ninja way! I wouldn't mind calling you Uncle Konohamaru in the near future, ya' know." Bolt added to encourage him.

"Oh well," he sighed. "You may now leave. Thanks, anyway."

"Wait."

"Hm? Anything else, Bolt?"

"Speaking of girls, what do you do when a girl is mad at you, sensei?" the inquisitive Bolt asked.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Konohagakure Streets)<em>

A flower.

The key to an angry woman's heart, that is according to the jounin instructor. Once he left the training grounds, Bolt immediately picked the prettiest rose that he could find in his garden back home and bolted away to find Sarada. He needed to find a way to solve the awkwardness between both of them before they begin the mission tomorrow.

Bolt first went to the Uchiha Residence. But no one was home. He figured that Sarada might be in the downtown area then. Thus, it led him to search for her in the ever-lively streets of Konoha.

Not in the Academy.

Not at the playground.

As the blonde Uzumaki trudged through the busy marketplaces of Konoha, he finally found the person whom he had been searching for after all this time.

Sarada. The Uchiha was standing amidst the crowds of people in the busy streets.

But she wasn't alone. She was with someone else.

Inojin Yamanaka.

Stealthily, the Uzumaki hid himself in one of the empty market stalls near the two in order to eavesdrop on the rest of their conversation.

Inojin had flowers along with him and to Bolt's surprise, the Yamanaka gave Sarada his bouquet of assorted flowers. An array of flowers that were much beautiful, much better and definitely superior compared to his rose.

"These flowers are special. I grew them myself." Inojin said. "Take care of them all right?"

"Of course I will. Thanks, Inojin-kun." Sarada replied as she received the bouquet of flowers.

"Say hi to your mom for me, Sarada-chan."

He didn't want to hear the rest of their conversation, Bolt knew that he had just lost Sarada to his friend.

Feeling dejected and with a broken heart, the blonde Uzumaki left his rose on the empty market stall and ran away from the scene. Looks like Sarada was never going to be his in the first place.

Bolt ran.

He ran and ran and ran until his feet could no longer take it.

Finally, his exhausted feet took him near the outskirts of Konoha. To his surprise, he saw his teammate training with his father, doing push-ups with one hand only. A pure dedication to his mastery of taijutsu.

"621, 622, 623, 624…." Lee Jr counted with his father, Lee Sr.

A pang of jealousy hit Bolt. Despite being the dead last in the academy, Lee Jr had all his father's attention. Something that the Uzumaki wished he had in the first place.

"Hey, Bolt-san!" the bushy brow junior saw him. "Come and join us in our youthful training session!"

"Oh uh — Hey Lee! Sorry but I've got places to go to." Bolt realised that he had been observing them for quiet a while now.

"You're always welcome to train with us, Bolt!" Lee Sr added. "Now son, on with the fountain of youth! 625, 626, 627, 628…"

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Uzumaki Residence — Bathroom)<em>

After a quiet stressful day, the Orange Hokage decided to leave work early and take a bath after arriving home earlier than usual.

He knew that Hinata probably went with Himawari to visit her grandfather at the Hyuga Estate so he didn't bother looking for them at the moment. Bolt was maybe busy training or hanging out with his friends as well.

Naruto needed a bathe after all. He hasn't dipped himself in the cool cleansing waters of the bathtub for a couple of days now due to his busy schedule.

He took off his clothes, revealing his well-toned, beefy muscular body that the Hokage had earned due to his rigorous training during all those years before the Fourth Shinobi War.

Any woman who'd see him right now would probably wet themselves at his hotness and of course, he carried a very long, desirable manly package along with him.

But.

The door to the bathroom suddenly opened.

"N-Naruto-kun? You're home early." Hinata called his name.

"Hey, Hinata-chan. Care to join me? I need someone to scrub my back, ya' know." Naruto gave her a seductive wink before asking her to join him in bathe.

**x**

**(Lemon Start)**

_Why would she say no?_ "No" isn't an option. Especially to someone like Naruto.

The Orange Hokage watched his wife slowly undress herself in front of him, revealing her oh-so-sexy feminine body with her beautifully huge breasts that were perfectly symmetrical in shape.

"Make room for me, Naruto-kun." Hinata ordered. Her face flushed at the sight of Naruto's massive length whilst he lay in the bath tub before her.

Naruto did as he was told and moved over to one corner of the bath tub, allowing his wife to step inside the space behind his back.

Once she positioned herself, Hinata started scrubbing his back with soap and water.

"Listen, I've got something important to tell you, Naruto-kun." Hinata said to him as she carried on scrubbing his back.

"Can't it wait after this?" he replied.

"No." she muttered. "Unless you want to do something else." Hinata whispered on his ear as she started trailing soft kisses on Naruto's broad shoulders.

"I think I'd prefer the _'something else'_ option. Ya' know I —"

Before Naruto could say anything more, Hinata's hand reached forward and wrapped her fingers around his cock. She was squeezing it lightly. His eyes widened whilst his mouth dropped open at the pleasant sensation.

Naruto forgot entirely about his next words as his legs trembled, causing him to close his eyes and fully enjoy the hand job that his wife was giving him.

He looked down to watch her hand stroke his throbbing manhood slowly.

Water splashed as Hinata's skilful hand moved up and down Naruto's lengthy shaft. His expression was the epitome of agony, aching for release, but Hinata knew that he was feeling anything but pleasure as he let out a shaky, lustful gasp.

The Hokage gave an encouraging thrust of his hips whilst she wrapped her hand around his massive length. She could feel his pubic hair as he reached down to the bottom of the shaft closer to his balls. Hinata teasingly pulled the loose foreskin around his cock to excite him. She then smoothed the supple flesh over the bulbous tip of his manhood softly with her fingers.

"Oh god yeah — I like that spot— it feels so good 'Nata-chan." Naruto all but gasped and whimpered in her every stroke.

Hinata knew just how her husband liked the hand job: slow yet hard.

Her other free hand reached down to fondle his testicles that were aching for ejaculation. She thought they needed attention as well. In response, Naruto groaned as his swelling manhood started releasing pre-cum whilst she went on with her hand job. His wife never failed when it comes to pleasing his sexual desires.

After a while, Naruto finally released his load. His member jerked as it released a hot, sticky white mess that joined with the tub's stagnant waters.

"This has been the best bathe that I've ever had in my entire life." Naruto panted after he came.

Hinata then wrapped her arms around Naruto's sturdy body and trailed him light kisses at the nape of his neck. The kisses drove Naruto crazy, just like how he drove his wife to sexual ecstasy by sucking her nipples during sex.

**(Lemon End)**

**x**

"Naruto-kun, are you ready to listen now?" Hinata whispered on his ear.

She moved her body closer to him, so that her soft breasts were now pressing against his back. Hinata let her hands caress his chest in a massaging manner.

"What did you want to tell me-ttebayo?"

"You know how we women have our monthly uh — you know. We have _it_ every month?"

"Oh, you mean your period."

"Naruto-kun! Don't say it out loud. You don't have to be so explicit about that. It's embarrassing !" she scolded him.

The Hokage chuckled at her response. "Sorry. Why are we talking about your uh — monthly _thing_ again?"

"Because I didn't have mine today."

"You mean …" Naruto's eyes widened at her sudden revelation. Hinata not having her monthly period could only mean one thing.

Hinata confessed. "I'm pregnant, Naruto-kun."

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Konoha Playground)<em>

Alone in the playground. That's how Uzumaki Bolt was planning to spend the rest of his afternoon. He didn't feel like eating ramen. Not after witnessing Sarada receive Inojin's flowers, and Lee Jr training with his father. It felt like he was the unluckiest one among the rest of his teammates.

Bolt sat on the playground's swing, sulking and pouting.

But then.

"THERE YOU ARE! SHANAROOO!"

_BAM!_

Sarada Uchiha suddenly came running and kicked the blonde off the swing, causing his face to fall flat on the sandy surface of the playground.

Once he picked himself up from the ground, the Uchiha grabbed his collar and started scolding him.

"Why the hell didn't you turn around?! I kept calling your name, you idiot! But you kept running away! WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" she began to berate him.

"S-Sarada-chan? H-How did you —"

"I looked everywhere for you when I saw you run away back at the marketplace, what the heck was that for?!"

Bolt turned his gaze away from her. Slowly, he grabbed her hand and shoved it away from his collar.

"Why are you here?" the Uzumaki with a broken nose asked.

"Because I chased you after you ran away! Boys are so stupid, I swear to god." Sarada hissed. "And I saw you spying on me. I'm not that stupid, Bolt."

"No, I wasn't! I— I was just passing by!" Bolt lied.

"You're a bad liar, too."

"Sarada-chan I'm not …"

"You should be preparing for our mission tomorrow rather than moping around here and wasting your time. You should go training! Or practice your cloning thing or whatever! Just do something productive for once!"

"Tell that to Inojin." Bolt muttered.

"What?"

"I said tell that to your boyfriend."

"BOYFRIEND?! What the hell are you talking about?!" Sarada sighed. "Inojin's _not_ my boyfriend."

Bolt's mood suddenly brightened up after hearing what she said. If that's the case, then he still has a chance after all. His ninja way still burns bright within his veins.

"But — But I saw Inojin giving you flowers a while ago." Bolt pointed out.

To his surprise, Sarada covered her mouth and started laughing uncontrollably. This was his first time in seeing her laugh. Her laugh was contagious, as if it could light up the darkest of rainy days and it made Bolt realise something: Sarada Uchiha is beautiful.

"Bolt, you're so silly. Oh god, I can't stop laughing help me." Sarada chortled and tittered continuously that she almost cried.

"Wh-what's so funny, Sarada-chan?"

Sarada cleared her throat before speaking.

"Inojin was just giving me flowers that were meant for my Mama. You see, Aunt Ino and my mama are best friends and Aunt Ino asked Inojin to give me the flowers for my mom so that I can give it to her myself rather than coming to our house." she explained. "Those flowers were rare and special, so Aunt Ino had to give some for our garden."

"Oh." was all Bolt could say. It had all been a misunderstanding in the first place.

"But still, why were you spying on me?"

"I wasn't spying on you!"

The Uchiha grabbed a handkerchief from her pocket. She then reached out for Bolt's face to wipe the blood off his broken nose. Her touch on his face made the blonde Uzumaki shiver at the contact.

"Quit denying, Bolt. I knew you were."

_Okay, Bolt. Now's your chance_. He said to himself. With sweaty palms and a bleeding nose, the Uzumaki made up his mind. Now is the time. The time for him to risk himself and take his chances.

"Sarada-chan, will you — will you go out with me tonight?"

She stopped. After hearing his question, Sarada withdrew her hand from wiping the blood off his nostrils and stood in front of him in silence.

"Don't be stupid, Bolt." she said to him. "Didn't I just tell you to prepare for tomorrow's mission?"

"W-We can go out as friends, can't we?"

"I have to go now. Bye."

The Uchiha dismissed before leaving him all of a sudden.

_Was she blushing or was it just me?_ Bolt wondered. Today may not be his lucky day. Sarada may haven't said 'yes' to his offer but this isn't the end just yet.

Never give up.

That was his ninja way.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Uzumaki Residence)<em>

Feeling relieved that everything's finally okay between him and Sarada, Bolt made his way back home to start preparing for tomorrow's journey. To his surprise, his father was home, chatting with his mother and sister at their dining table.

"Ah, look who's back. The Genin!" Naruto stood up and greeted his son with a pat on his head.

"Dad? You're here?"

"Congratulations, son. You made it!" the Hokage said to him. "I'm proud of you-ttebayo."

Bolt's day couldn't get any better.

"Here." Naruto reached for something behind him and handed it to his son. It was a small object wrapped around in clothing. Based from its shape, it looked like some sort of kunai to the little Uzumaki.

"What's this, dad?" Bolt asked as he received it.

"My gift to you for passing your test. Open it."

Cautiously, Bolt unwrapped the package and found a custom-made kunai. But the kunai was different to an ordinary one. It had a wooden handle that had strange sealing fuinjitsu symbols engraved on it. The kunai also had three blades, one long one and two shorter ones at each of its sides and it was a bit heavier than a normal kunai too.

"That's your grandfather's special weapon." Naruto explained. "It's called the **Flying Thunder God kunai**."

"Whoa." Bolt admired the weapon in astonishment.

"In time, you will learn how to use it. But for now, I want you to have it in your possession."

"Th-thank you-ttebasa."

With a pat on his head, Naruto turned to Hinata and his daughter.

"Now, let's go get some ramen!" he announced to his family. "To celebrate Bolt's success." Naruto added as he turned to his son and gave him a proud, fatherly smile.


	6. Chapter 6 : The Land of Sound Part 1

**Quote of the Day:**

_"People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true. That's how they define 'reality'. But what does it mean to be 'correct' and 'true'? Merely vague concepts. Their 'reality' may all be a mirage. __Can we consider them to simply be living in their own world, shaped by their beliefs?"_

_— Uchiha Itachi_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six:<strong>

**The Land of Sound (Part 1)**

_Location: (Hokage's Office)_

Team 7 met up at the Hokage's office at seven-thirty AM sharp for the briefing of their very first mission as a team.

Bolt, Sarada, Lee Jr and Konohamaru stood in front of the Hokage's desk attentively, waiting for the briefing.

"So, this will be your very first mission isn't it?" Naruto asked the team.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Lee Jr replied at once.

"What's going to be our mission-ttebasa?" Bolt inquired.

"Good to see that you're all eager." the Hokage said. "But first let me ask you a question. Is anyone here familiar with the Land of Sound?"

As expected, the Uchiha genius knew all sorts of things.

"The Land of Sound, also known as Otogakure is a neighbouring country of Konoha. It is a relatively new country although it has existed for some time under the name of the **Land of Rice Fields**." Sarada answered detail by detail. "It was established by Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin. But it was later on reclaimed by the Fire Daimyo when the sannin was killed by … my papa."

"Impressive, Sarada-chan." Naruto praised the Uchiha.

"Can't you just tell us the mission already?!" the impatient Bolt blurted out.

"Shut it, Bolt." Konohamaru shut the blonde up.

"Your first mission is going to be a Rank C mission, as expected for rookie shinobi."

"Rank C?! That sucks." Bolt whined. "Why can't we just do high ranked ones? I bet I can take on bad guys that —"

"BOLT! LISTEN-TTEBAYO." the Hokage gave his son a fatherly warning glare.

"Sorry, dad."

"As I was saying, this mission is Rank C. And your job for this mission is to assist in rebuilding a recently wrecked farm in Otogakure." Naruto continued.

"How youthful! I've always wanted to see farms." Lee Jr exclaimed.

In addition, Konoha and the rest of the villages also rely on countries such as Otogakure for their agricultural supplies. The Sound happens to be the centre when it comes to farming and harvesting crops. So when the kikaichu disaster took place, the trades between nations were cut short.

"How boring." Bolt complained once more.

"What caused the destruction of farms, boss?"

"A special type of kikaichu. These insects are some sort of genetically modified organisms. Elemental jutsus don't affect them and Konoha's currently finding out more about these insects." the Hokage explained. "They invaded the farm a couple of days ago."

"And now the Oto people need extra farm-hands?" the jounin asked.

"That would be it."

"Got it, boss."

Naruto then turned to the three Genins. They reminded him of his old team a long time ago. The old Team 7. But now it's time for the new generation to take over their role. All he could do now, is make sure that the new generation of ninjas are in safe hands as they grow up to become the leaders of the future.

"We all start from humble beginnings ya' know. But don't worry, your Konohamaru-sensei will guide you on this mission. Isn't that right, Konohamaru?"

The jounin nodded in affirmation.

"Then it is settled. Your mission to the Land of Sound begins now."

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Outskirts of Konohagakure)<em>

The four had been walking for almost an hour now, on their way to the Land of Sound. They passed through the thick forests in the outskirts of Konoha and walked in a pace that'll get them half-way through the borders when nightfall arrives.

Konohamaru walked from behind, observing his team whilst he enjoyed puffing smoke from his cigarette from time to time.

Lee Jr on the other hand, pressed on about ten metres ahead than the rest of the team. The bushy brow insisted on jogging instead of walking normally. He said he had to maintain his "youthful glow".

Bolt walked along with Sarada, trying his best to be on the same pace as her. Ever since they began the mission, the blonde had been bombarding the Uchiha with random topics in order to keep a conversation going.

But despite his non-stop chattering, Sarada remained unresponsive to the blonde Uzumaki. Bolt noticed this and decided to confront her about it.

"Sarada-chan … Am I annoying you?"

"What's that?"

"Ya' know, you don't have to listen to me-ttebasa. You can just tell me to go away and — and I'll leave you alone."

Sarada didn't reply. The blonde began to make his pouty-face once more.

"Sorry." he apologised.

"Look, Bolt. You're _not_ annoying. You're just … loud."

"Really?"

"Let's just focus on the mission rather than talking about non sensible stuff, alright? It's better to keep it that way."

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Boundary of Oto and Konoha)<em>

Nightfall came.

Team 7 arrived at the boundaries separating the Leaf and the Sound on time.

"Okay, team. Lend your eyes and ears on me. We are going to make camp here for tonight." the jounin proposed.

"About time." Lee Jr agreed.

As they made camp for the night, Konohamaru assigned each of the Genins to perform certain tasks that were necessary for their survival.

Bolt was asked to gather dry wood.

Lee was assigned to hunt for food.

And Sarada was tasked to set up their camp.

Once they all did their respective tasks, the team sat around a campfire that Konohamaru had made. Then the jounin instructor proceeded to cook the fish that Lee Jr had caught just then.

"Let's talk about what we have to be aware of once we get to Oto. Just a reminder, this mission requires us to help in a farm as extra farm-hands. And it is our duty to help these people in need to the best of our abilities."

"This mission's dumb, sensei. We're not farmers ya' know. We're ninjas." Bolt started whining once more.

"Have you already forgotten your first lesson during your Genin Test, Bolt? Self-sacrifice. A ninja must —."

"— Set aside his own personal interests for the sake of others." Bolt interrupted. "Yeah, yeah I get that, sensei."

_SHANAROOO! He's such an epitome of idiocy._ Inner-Sarada manifested after hearing the blonde's arrogance.

"Konohamaru-sensei, I'm willing to stay up late and take watch for the rest of the night." Lee Jr volunteered.

"Alright, Lee. That'd be great." the jounin approved. "As for you two, get some rest after dinner. You'd need yourselves feeling refreshed for tomorrow's mission." he said to Sarada and Bolt.

"What about you, sensei?" Sarada asked.

"I'll have to do a bit of scouting around the area. Just to make sure that we're not being watched or anything."

After finishing their meal for the night, Lee Jr proceeded to watch over the Team on a towering tree just above the camp. Konohamaru stayed up late, knowing that Lee Jr might fall asleep at anytime soon.

And he was right. It didn't take long before the bushy brow fell asleep on his guarding post.

_'So much for "staying up all night".'_ Konohamaru thought as he proceeded to take Lee Jr's place as the guard.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the two other Genins got the chance to sleep beside the nearby warm, glowing campfire.<p>

Bolt excitedly placed his sleeping mat close to Sarada's, much to her dislike.

"Can I sleep next to you, Sarada-chan?"

"No."

With that said, Bolt moved his sleeping mat a few centimetres away.

"How about here?"

"Move further."

Bolt moved a few feet further from her sleeping mat.

"More." she demanded.

For the third time, the Uzumaki distanced himself for another couple of feet.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

After seconds of contemplation and careful calculation of their distances, the Uchiha finally allowed him to stay on that spot.

"Don't you_ dare _move closer to me while I'm asleep."

Sarada gave him an intimidating glare before she proceeded to lie down on her sleeping mat.

"Hey, Sarada-chan. Wanna hear a story before we go to sleep?"

"No."

"C'mon. It's still early ya' know. We can talk if you like."

"Get some rest, Bolt. Didn't you hear what Konohamaru-sensei said a while ago? We need to be refreshed for tomorrow's mission."

"But — But I …"

"I said _no_. Please."

The persistent blonde finally gave up.

"Good night, Sarada-chan."

_… 1 hour later_

An hour passed already but Sarada couldn't coerce herself to sleep.

No matter how hard she tried, her mind won't let her rest. She tossed and turned for several times.

The Uchiha wasn't accustomed to sleeping outdoors. Her skin felt itchy, mosquitoes were biting her legs AND there was this annoying blonde kid who was snoring quiet loudly a few feet away from her.

Bolt was snoring heavily.

_SHANAROOO! How the hell could he sleep like this?_

Sarada got up and crawled closer to the sleeping Uzumaki, careful not to make any noise whilst she crept up close to him.

She observed Bolt watchfully as he slept.

He looked so peaceful and calm, a stark contrast to whenever he's awake and extremely loud. She observed his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm, in synch with his breathing.

But.

One thing picked her curiosity as she observed him.

_Bolt's whiskers._

She'd never touched the blonde's whiskers before, although they've known each other since they were toddlers. Sarada never bothered about that specific detail about Bolt. They've grown too familiar with one other to even notice those certain features.

Sarada cautiously reached out a hand to touch Bolt's whiskers. She gave them a light stroke and felt their texture.

Bolt's nose wiggled at the touch.

The Uchiha giggled silently at his reaction. His whiskers were very sensitive.

"Your face looks stupid." Sarada poked his cheek.

The Uzumaki continued snoring, unmindful of her words and actions.

"You look so stupid, even when you're asleep."

According to most girls back at school, Bolt was really handsome despite his whisker-face. But Sarada considered boys to be stupid and a genuine waste of time. He was the Hokage's son, a real catch in the eyes of many and it was true.

Bolt was indeed cute in a way.

_SHANAROOO! What am I doing?!_ She cursed herself.

Ever since she had her first kiss with Bolt, Sarada couldn't get her mind off the blonde despite his annoyingness. It so happened that he asked her out on a date yesterday, to which she wasn't sure of how to respond.

"Good night, Bolt."

Sarada whispered to the sleeping blonde before crawling to back to her own mat.

_Boys are so stupid._ Was the last thought swirled around her head before her eyelids stayed shut as she finally drifted her off to a peaceful slumber.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (The Land of Sound)<em>

The team finally made it to Otogakure, the Land of Sound. But they were greeted with an unexpected sight.

The books in Konoha taught them that Oto was supposed to be a highly agricultural land but once they reached the destination, majority of Sound's farm lands were already wiped out. Dozens of its citizens were left homeless, their houses torn apart and in need of repair.

"Are you sure we're in Oto, Konohamaru-sensei?" Bolt asked.

"This isn't how the books described this place." Sarada added.

"Of course we are. But I gotta admit. This place doesn't look the same since the last time I came here." the jounin replied.

"How un-youthful. Look at all those homeless people." Lee Jr muttered as he looked around the ruined houses in utter devastation.

Otogakure's streets smelled of horse dung, sweat and piss, mixed together in a bowl of rotten fish stew. There was so much destruction, especially in the areas surrounding the rice fields.

Sarada couldn't help but cover her nose at the such an unpleasant smell.

"Let's go, team. We must find the farmers who sought for Konoha's services." Konohamaru said to the three.

As they walked past a series of houses on their way to the farm centre, a couple of eyes lent them a cold stare. Some of the Oto residents eyed the team curiously, knowing that they don't come from around here.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Otogakure Farms)<em>

Once they arrived at the farm centre, they were greeted by the owner of the farmlands who offered them to sit back for a cup of tea, to which the jounin respectfully declined.

The owner of the farm began to scan the three Genins from tip to toe. He didn't look particularly happy about something as he looked at them. He looked rather disappointed.

"Are these the only ninjas that Konoha's got to send? No other … more capable hands?" the owner began, referring to the three Genins.

"What do you expect? With all due respect, you said this was a Rank C mission, right? For such a low-paying job, don't expect the Leaf to send their elite shinobi to lend you assistance." Konohamaru retorted.

"Alright, alright. Apologies for my rudeness. Especially to you, kids." he gave the three a crooked smile.

"Shut your mouth old hag! Quit underestimating us rookie ninjas. We—" But before Bolt could finish insulting the old man, the jounin instructor covered the blonde's mouth to stop him.

"We'll do our job right away, sir." Konohamaru said.

Without further ado, they proceeded to start the mission after the owner left them to do their own thing. Only three main areas of the farm needed their help. First and foremost was the replanting of crops in the rice fields, then the burning of the wasted crops that the kikaichu had contaminated and lastly, the repair of the buildings and structures ruined by the insect swarm invasion.

"Okay, team listen up. Each one of you will be given chores in order to help restore these ruined farmlands." Konohamaru pointed to Bolt. "You."

"Yes, sensei?" Bolt responded attentively.

"Use your** shadow clones** to assist the farmers in planting more crops near the devastated and barren areas of the field. Are you listening?"

"Got it-ttebasa!"

"And Sarada," Konohamaru pointed at the Uchiha. "Do you happen to know any jutsus that might help in burning the contaminated crops to ashes?"

"You mean a **Fire Jutsu**? Of course I do, sensei." Sarada nodded in confirmation.

"That leaves you Lee Jr to assist me with the reconstruction of the huts and barns." the jounin finished with a quick glance to the bushy brow. "Does anyone have any questions?"

None.

"Then you may proceed to your given tasks."

* * *

><p>Konohamaru stood atop one of the barns that required repair on its rooftops whilst looking out for his students.<p>

The Sarutobi looked on one side of the farm and saw Bolt from a distance, performing his **Shadow Clone Jutsu** then dispatching his clones to plant crops on the empty fields.

On the other side was Sarada, she executed the Uchiha clan's signature technique, **Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu**. With a fiery breath, she skilfully set the withered and contaminated corn stalks on fire.

Then something caught the jounin's attention.

Two _suspicious_ hooded figures were trudging along the streets of Oto. They didn't only look suspicious, but they seemed to give out a very familiar presence to Konohamaru.

"Who are those two?" he asked one of the local famers that were helping with the construction.

"They could be anyone. You see, Otogakure is home to many refugee clans who have been driven away from their respective villages." the farmer shrugged.

"Haven't you seen them around here before?"

"I'm afraid not. Sorry, but Oto openly welcomes any displaced people from all around the world."

_… 1 hour later_

Surprisingly, the weather got quiet cloudy as noontime was fast approaching. Round masses of clouds heaped on top of each other, blanketing Otogakure from the sun's blazing heat.

But.

Then. Something bad was about to happen.

"THEY'RE BACK! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"

One of the Sound residents started screaming, alerting the rest of the people of the upcoming dilemma.

Konohamaru fixed his gaze somewhere beyond the farmlands to where most people turned away from.

Insects.

**Kikaichu swarms**.

"Shit." the Sarutobi swore.

Immediately, he turned towards the bushy brow who was also appalled by the sudden ruckus.

"Wh-what's happening, sensei?"

The bushy brow stopped hammering the roof that he was repairing.

"Lee, go get Bolt out of the rice fields and bring him back here! NOW! "

Lee nodded in response before leaping out of the barn rooftops and running to fetch his teammate.

The insect swarms were fast approaching.

Although they were a few kilometres away, Konohamaru knew that he doesn't have much time before they'd swarm in Oto and wreck havoc to the already-wrecked farm once more. Authorities haven't informed them that this said Rank C mission was going to be much more dangerous than he thought it would be.

"AAAAHHH!"

A stampede began below him.

The jounin watched masses of people flood through the crowded village streets, trying to escape from the in-coming kikaichu swarm.

"Oh no." Konohamaru suddenly remembered something.

Sarada.

The Uchiha was on the other side of the farm, in the area where the stampede was the heaviest. Without thinking twice, the team captain rushed for one of his students.

"Out of my way!" he bellowed whilst he shoved a couple of people that were on his way. "SARADA! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Chaos and panic besieged the team captain as he forced his way through the numerous crowds of people. Everything began to run in slow motion. Lives of his students were at stake here.

"SENSEI ! I'M HERE!" Sarada shrieked from somewhere.

Konohamaru ran towards the direction of her voice and found the Uchiha hiding herself among the stack of wasted wheat harvests, quivering in panic.

"Sarada! Thank god you're okay." the jounin approached and dragged her out of hiding. "Now let's go find Lee and Bolt."

As the Sarutobi turned around, he caught sight of the farm's land owner, struggling to break free of a wooden post that fell on his foot and prevented him from escaping.

"Help me! P-Please. G-Get this thing off of me."

Konohamaru ran towards the trapped land owner.

"You said this mission would only involve repairing the farms! You didn't say _anything_ about a kikaichu threat that's coming back for more!" The jounin grabbed the man's neck and started threatening him.

"I'M SORRY! I'm so sorry about that, alright? OTOGAKURE IS BROKE! We don't have enough money to pay for better shinobi to do this mission! Forgive me… Please just get me out of here." the man begged for his life to be spared.

A familiar voice suddenly spoke from behind.

"Just let him go, Konoha-nin. He's one of my people."

Konohamaru turned around to see who it was. One of the hooded men whom he found to be suspicious a while ago.

And yet he wasn't mistaken.

"Orochimaru."


	7. Chapter 7 : The Land of Sound Part 2

**Quote of the Day:**

_"I have long since closed my eyes. My only goal is in the darkness." — Uchiha Sasuke_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven:<strong>

**The Land of Sound (Part 2)**

_Location: (Otogakure Rice Fields)_

"Bolt-san! Where are you?!"

Lee Jr made his way through the giant stalks of wheat that were blocking his vision. The bushy-brow panicked. This was his first time in being such an alarming situation. The pressure was there, danger lurking at every corner as he ran across the rice fields.

"Lee-san! Here!" Bolt called from somewhere.

_That voice! _Lee Jr scampered to the direction of his call. He swerved to the right. _No, not here_. He corrected himself. Swiftly darting to the other side, he continued the narrow path.

From a distance he could hear the buzzing sound of the incoming insect swarms. There's not much time before the kikaichu will come and invade the rest of the untouched rice fields.

As he turned to one side of the field —

_BAM!_ Another's body slammed against his own. Their heads receiving the relatively strong impact of the collision.

Lee Jr collided with Bolt.

"OW!" both shouted in unison. Their bodies fell on the ground after the unexpected clashing.

"I didn't see you. Sorry." Bolt apologised, rubbing his head.

"There you are." the junior felt relieved. "Now, let's go back to Konohamaru-sensei!"

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Otogakure Farm Centre)<em>

"Orochimaru."

Scowling, the Sarutobi narrowed his eyes at the snake sannin, unfazed of his presence that seemed like sandpaper across his temper, rubbing him raw with his stained existence. "YOU TREACHEROUS SNAKE! I knew that you're behind all of this!"

"Don't you dare flagrantly accuse me of such criminal acts, ignorant shinobi." Orochimaru hissed. "I came here to lend assistance to Oto."

"LIES! You summoned those kikaichu on purpose to destroy this place!"

"WHAT?! Why in the world would I do such a thing to my own people?" the sannin glowered towards the jounin.

Another hooded figure appeared beside the sannin before revealing himself.

"Should I slit the throat of this Konoha pest for you, Orochimaru?" A lean-built man of average height with white hair and pointed teeth sticking out of his mouth spoke.

"We no longer resort to such savage ways, Suigetsu. Have you forgotten the reason why we're here?" Orochimaru hissed at the sharp-teethed man.

"Then what the fuck am I here for?!" Suigetsu bit his lips with his shark-like teeth and grimaced.

"IMBECILE! I told you to find that_ insolent brat _! Now go and fetch that child for me!" the sannin snapped and reprimanded his accomplice.

Suigetsu teleported away.

_Brat?! What's Orochimaru up to?_ the Sarutobi thought.

Without letting his eyes stray off of the snake sannin, Konohamaru spoke to Sarada with a dour look on his face, expressing the seriousness of the current situation.

"Sarada, listen to me. This is no longer a Rank C mission." his eyes glinted with hostility towards Orochimaru. "So stay out of this. You hear me?"

"But sensei —"

"No 'buts'. Just do it." the Uchiha's sentence was cut off by the jounin.

Orochimaru turned his gaze towards Sarada, his snake-like golden eyes glinting fiendishly as he began to recognise her origins.

"Those eyes. Those _familiar_ onyx-eyes. Could you possibly be his child?"

"My papa killed you a long time ago!" Sarada curled her lips.

"Ah, I knew it. Didn't your _Papa Sasuke-kun_ tell you that he revived me when he needed my help during the Fourth Shinobi War? Shame on him."

The snake sannin flicked out his snake tongue in an attempt to scare the little Uchiha. Noticing this, Konohamaru turned to the intimidated Sarada to snap her out of it.

"Sarada, don't listen to him. Go find Lee and Bolt and get out of the farm! I told you to stay out of this." Konohamaru ordered his student.

"Perhaps you're blissfully unaware of the current situation, jounin. I'm here to stop the kikaichu from wrecking the farms! We don't have time to chat here." Orochimaru sneered, quickly shifting his gaze towards the incoming swarm of insects before glancing at the Sarutobi once more.

"SHUT UP!"

Konohamaru shifted his position to his fighting stance and threw a shuriken towards the sannin at breakneck speed. Vengeful eyes flared of hatred, the jounin wasted no time and began to perform hand seals, in preparation to execute a jutsu and launch forth the assault.

Konohamaru: **"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

Combining his weapon with the arts of ninjutsu, he managed to clone his shurikens into hundreds, making evading it next to impossible. The Sarutobi executed his grandfather's self-made Rank A jutsu.

"How nostalgic." the sannin remarked.

Orochimaru leapt.

Darting farther away from the incoming shurikens.

Orochimaru: **"Body-Replacement Technique!"**

Despite the said unavoidable attack, the snake sannin was quick enough to materialise a new body which he rapidly regurgitated from his mouth. Like a snake that he was, Orochimaru shed his skin to protect himself from the incoming shurikens.

It was the very same jutsu that his old sensei used against him when the old man Third sacrificed himself a long time ago.

"Who are you? And why do you regard me with such ill-contempt, shinobi of the Leaf?" the snake sannin shot a hostile gaze towards the jounin after swiftly evading the shurikens. "_Have we met before_?"

"I am Konohamaru of the **Sarutobi Clan**, grandson of the Third Hokage. You are the reason why my oji-san died, you remorseless snake." he declared with loathsome utterance.

Memories of how the Third Hokage sacrificed himself to end the snake's life bought toxic bile into his throat, knowing that his grandfather's efforts were put to waste and the snake is still alive.

"The old man's descendant, eh? Intriguing. But letting your anger cloud your better judgement isn't something that your old man would do, _Konohamaru-kun_." Orochimaru pointed towards the insects swarms. "I come here with purely good intentions. But you're forcing me to use violence."

Konohamaru ignored the sannin's words and proceeded to strike another attack. He lunged forth the sannin after creating a **shadow clone**.

With the aid of his other clone, he began to form a spiralling sphere made up of purely refined chakra. He prepared to execute the highly dangerous jutsu that the Seventh Hokage taught him a long time ago.

Konohamaru: **"Rasengan!"**

He charged forth the sannin with blazing speed.

But Orochimaru evaded it with his **Mayfly. **The snake sannin merged his body with the earth to conceal his presence, making him disappear all of a sudden.

The Rasengan attack failed.

_Where did he go?_ Konohamaru paused, listening for a movement after dispelling his other clone.

Suddenly, the snake sannin emerged from the ground behind him. Konohamaru turned around in time.

The Sarutobi kicked furiously with his right foot. Orochimaru ducked and whirled to the other side in haste. He punched him left and right, repeating the attack several times but the sannin dodged every single assault effortlessly and mowed him down to the ground in retaliation.

**Snake hands** transformed from Orochimaru's hands in an attempt to bite off the jounin. But he leapt. The Sarutobi was elusive enough.

"Shit." Konohamaru swore as he galloped away from the sannin to avoid the lethal counter attack. He wiped off the sweat that nestled on his brows, panting after the fast-paced turn of attacks.

_CLASH! SLASH!_

The Sarutobi whipped his head to the direction of the clashing of shurikens.

The Uchiha.

Orochimaru's clone had already began attacking the Uchiha while the jounin's attention was focused on fighting him.

_A shadow clone?!_ He didn't even notice Orochimaru perform the cloning jutsu. Unknown to him, the sannin casted the **Shadow Clone Jutsu** whilst he avoided his shuriken throws a while ago.

Sarada: **"Fire Release: Twin Fire Ball Jutsu!"**

Sarada breathed a double-fireball towards the Orochimaru clone, a very impressive jutsu as expected from the Rookie of the Year. But despite being a prodigy, her inexperience in battle proved to be a disadvantage against the wise, old sannin who was a far-more stronger shinobi beyond her years.

"AAAAH! LET ME GO!"

Sarada was caught off-guard and got strangled by the snake sannin's clone.

"Goddamnit! Release her, Orochimaru!" Konohamaru demanded. "Pull that stick out of your ass and fight me one-on-one!"

"I warned you. Let me deal with the kikaichu swarm! I'm here for a rightful cause but you're the one attacking me for no reason." the original Orochimaru snarled with his snake tongue.

The snake's clone tightened his grip on Sarada, causing her to squirm violently in order to break free of the harsh grasp. Her mouth twisted into a grimace after experiencing the pain of the sannin's sharp nails that dug deep into her skin.

Her skin was bleeding.

"_SHANAROOO! _My papa will kill you _again_ once he hears of this! Let me go!" Sarada struggled, trying her best to be numb at the torturous pain caused by Oro's digging nails.

But.

Suddenly.

"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF SARADA-CHAN!"

A blonde kid tackled the clone.

Uzumaki Bolt emerged out of the blue and slammed his whole body towards the clone that was holding his teammate captive. The clumsy tackle was strong enough that it made the sannin clone release his grip on the Uchiha.

Sarada was now falling to the ground.

Luckily, one of Bolt's shadow clones caught Sarada quickly, just like how the Fourth Hokage Minato had caught Kushina in his arms when she was rescued by him.

"B-Bolt?" the Uchiha's onyx eyes widened at his sudden rescue. Her body now in the arms of her blonde teammate carrying her to safety.

"Sorry I'm late, Sarada-chan."

Bolt's shadow clone beamed a reassuring smile, eyeing her fondly with his gentle cerulean-blue eyes as he carried her away from the Orochimaru clone's grasp.

"Now Lee! Attack!" the original Bolt yelled before dashing away from the sannin's clone.

Just as the Orochimaru clone was about to recover from the sudden tackle and attack the blonde, it was too late before he noticed a powerful jump kick coming from his blind spot.

Lee Jr : **"Strong Fist: Dynamic Entry!"**

"For the power of youth!" Using the element of surprise, the bushy brow leapt high up in the air to land a strong taijutsu kick on the blind spot of the snake sannin's clone.

The jutsu taught by his father Rock Lee Sr was extremely hard to evade that even the late Pervy Sage wasn't quick enough to dodge it a long time ago.

_POOF!_ The clone dispelled after taking the solid hit.

"GET OUT OF HERE YOU THREE!" Konohamaru bawled at his students. "RUN!"

* * *

><p>Konohamaru sighed in relief after seeing his students take care of the situation with their teamwork. They were now out of the battlefield, out of danger.<p>

"Impressive. Very impressive." Orochimaru snuck a wide grin on his pale-skinned faced. "Blonde hair, blue eyes and whisker marks — was that boy Naruto-kun's _offspring_?"

Sweat broke along Konohamaru's spine. It took teeth-gritting control before the jounin instructor finally agreed to let the snake do his own thing and help avoid sure destruction from hitting the farmlands.

"If you can stop the kikaichu swarm. Then do it." Konohamaru said to the sannin at last, letting his anger subside. He then withdrew from his fighting stance.

"Finally. Some wise words from that loud mouth of yours." the snake sannin sighed.

"You know too much about them. I find that _suspicious_."

"That's probably because I created them." the sannin admitted.

"I KNEW IT! You bastard! YOU did this!" Konohamaru's blood began to boil once more but he tried his best to suppress his anger this time.

"But I DIDN'T set them free into this world! They are supposed to be locked in my lab and kept safe. Someone else did it, you fool!" Orochimaru flicked his snake-tongue out and eyed the jounin with repugnance.

As Orochimaru was about to turn away from the scene and stop the insects, Suigetsu finally arrived dragging some kid along with him. A girl to be exact.

Suigetsu continued pulling the girl through her shirt towards the sannin's direction.

The girl had a messy, long dark hair that streamed down her sleeveless green shirt, perfectly adorning her pale-white skin. Her eyes sparkled golden-green, tongue hissed like an ophidian reptile that somehow resembled someone no other than Orochimaru.

"Release me, you shitty peasant!" the girl flailed his arms in rage as Suigetsu dragged her.

"PEASANT?! You spoilt brat. I'm not your fucking baby-sitter." Suigetsu scolded her. "What should I do to this child, Oro?"

"Tell shark-face here to let me go, FATHER!" the girl ordered the snake sannin.

_Father?!_ Konohamaru's eyes widened at the sudden revelation. Then that could only mean one thing.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Otogakure Streets)<em>

The three genins were told to stay away from the rice fields by their sensei. So they made a run for it and agreed to hide somewhere else after the blonde Uzumaki rescued Sarada. But Bolt noticed the Uchiha wincing in pain as he carried her.

"Sarada-chan, are you still hurt?" Bolt stopped running as he looked down his teammate.

"I'm okay. You can put me down now, Bolt."

"But —" he insisted, noticing the nail marks on her arms that the snake sannin's clone inflicted back then. Her skin was bleeding a little.

"Please." Sarada pleaded.

Lee Jr turned around to see his two other teammates stop. He approached them and aided Bolt in helping Sarada stand on the ground.

"Bolt-san, we can find shelter in one of the abandoned houses." Lee suggested.

"Lead the way, Lee." the blonde said as he held Sarada's hand and followed the bushy brow.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Otogakure Farm Centre)<em>

"Y-You have a daughter?!" the Sarutobi turned to the sannin, he couldn't believe what he just heard.

Nobody knew that one of the Three Legendary Sannins actually had a child. Jiraiya died a single man, Tsunade still a virgin but out of all the three, this deceitful snake managed to get one of his own and propagate himself.

"That child DID NOT come from my loins!" Orochimaru explained whilst he hissed in a deep breath. "She was '_made'_ in a laboratory and '_born'_ from a test tube. She doesn't even have a mother for fuck's sake."

Everybody's attention turned towards the kikaichu swarm that was now starting to engulf the remaining rice fields.

"How do you stop it?" Konohamaru asked the sannin.

"You can't help, grandchild of the Third. These insects are beyond your capabilities to handle." Orochimaru shifted his gaze towards the jounin.

"Are you underestimating me, you bastard snake?!"

"No. The answer is simple: You don't have **Sage Mode**."

"What do you mean?"

The sannin left him hanging. Instead, Orochimaru turned towards his daughter and Suigetsu, gesturing the latter to run away from the fields and take his daughter with him. It was evident that he was now preparing to launch a strike against the kikaichu swarms. "Suigetsu! Get Naomi out of here!"

"Are you sure about this, Orochimaru?" Suigetsu's eyes narrowed at the Konoha-nin in abhorrence. "Or should I stay and take care of this _pesky_ Leaf shinobi?"

"Why you —" Konohamaru wanted to stop the other two from escaping but he decided to let them go this time.

But then the sannin's daughter insisted. "NO! We're not leaving! I'LL PROVE TO MY FATHER THAT I AM BETTER THAN HIM!" Naomi, daughter of Orochimaru, threw a light punch at Suigetsu's face. The white-haired shark shinobi sneered at the sannin's offspring after taking the hit.

"Suigetsu, get her out of here. The swarm is heading this way! You know where to meet up with the others." the sannin hissed.

"Sure thing." Suigetsu sighed and carried Naomi along with him. She flailed her arms in refusal but the white-haired shark face ignored her helpless cries.

"Go find your students. I'll take care of the swarm myself." Orochimaru said to the Sarutobi.

"Not a chance! After creating those species, you're coming with me back to Konoha. You deserve to rot in prison, you bastard!"

"We don't have time for this, Konohamaru-kun. You can stay here if you wish, but you'll be defenceless against those insects."

The kikaichu swarm had already finished wiping out the rest of the fertile rice fields and were now heading towards their direction. They left the fields barren once more.

"Why should I trust you?"

"You have my word, Konoha-nin." the sannin hissed before teleporting away.

Konohamaru had two choices:

**A**. Stay to capture Orochimaru and be defenceless against the kikaichu.

**B.** Leave to find his students and be safe from the kikaichu.

As an experienced jounin and team captain, he knew better than to choose the first option. So he chose the latter.

Just as Konohamaru was about to leave to find the three Genins, he heard a faint scream from a few metres away. He recalled that he had forgotten to help the land owner whose feet were still trapped by a wooden post that fell on him.

"HEY! Don't forget about me!" the land owner called for him.

Left with no choice, the jounin rushed to aid the man and lifted the heavy wooden post that fell on his legs, setting him free before heading out to find his students.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (an abandoned house)<em>

Otogakure was now a ghost town.

News about the return of the kikaichu in the rice fields ignited panic in the hearts of Oto's residents. As a result, they evacuated their homes and made way to the centre of the town in the refugee centres.

The three ninjas found themselves shelter in one of the many empty houses in Oto, led by the one-and-only Lee Jr. Although the house wasn't that luxurious, it was big enough for them to hide and rest for the meantime.

"Lee, stay on guard. Sarada-chan, take a seat and I'll go find you some bandages." Bolt Uzumaki commanded with authority.

"Gotcha'." Lee Jr proceeded to take watch through the windows that were located in one corner of the house.

Although Bolt may act idiotic and brash most of the time, the blonde Uzumaki inherited his father's leadership skills and charisma.

"There's gotta be bandages around here somewhere." Bolt mumbled to himself as he searched the house for any medical equipment that he could find.

"Bolt, seriously I'm fine. You don't have to —"

But before Sarada could finish, Bolt scurried upstairs to continue his search.

_… minutes later_

After a while, Bolt made his way downstairs carrying along with him a bag full of medical supplies. He hurriedly rushed to Sarada's side and laid out all the stuff that he found on a table in front of her.

"Do you even know how to use those bandages?" Sarada looked at the blonde intently, noticing the way he cloddishly searched for the right equipment to use.

"It's not that hard I guess." the blonde replied as he started unpacking the bandages and gauze pads.

"Let me do it myself. I can use my other arm to bandage the other." Sarada insisted. "I _know_ how to use them."

"No. You're injured."

"C'mon Bolt. We all know that I'm the only one here who has knowledge of medical jutsu. I can just —" Sarada was cut-off by the Uzumaki.

"GIVE IT A REST, WILL YA'?!" Bolt raised his voice. "I almost lost you a while ago to that snake! I won't let that happen ever again-ttebasa."

He suddenly snapped in rage because of his over-protectiveness. For the first time, Sarada saw him angry. His cerulean eyes expressing anger that he himself didn't know he was capable of. But deep inside, his heart dwelled only love and care for the Uchiha.

Clumsily, the blonde Uzumaki started dressing the wounds and bruises on her arms with bandages. Sarada winced in pain when the bandages touched her wounds. Bolt's hands and fingers were uncoordinated, making bandaging her quiet time-consuming.

She chuckled inwardly at his awkwardness despite the pain.

Bolt lifted his gaze up and saw her snickering whilst he continued dressing her wounds.

"Why are you laughing, Sarada-chan?"

"Because you're clumsy." she chortled.

"Hey, don't make fun of me-ttebasa. I'm not a trained medic here, ya' know. You said that yourself." his expression lightened up a bit. Bolt was now grinning.

"Bolt?"

"Hm?" He continued wrapping the bandages as he looked at her in the eyes.

"Thanks." Sarada twisted her lips into a genuine smile.

Suddenly, Lee Jr rushed outside the house and started waving his hands. "Konohamaru-sensei ! OVER HERE!"

Their team captain had arrived. Konohamaru looked a bit worn-out of exhaustion once he found his students. But this didn't stop the jounin from reaching out for cigarette from his pockets to resume his force of habit.

"What happened, sensei? Are we going home?" the eager bushy-brows scampered in front of his sensei to hear his answer.

Konohamaru finished lighting his cigar before answering his student's question. He flicked his lighter and started smoking once his stick lit up. "The swarm has been dealt with."

"By whom? That snake who hurt Sarada-chan?" Bolt asked.

The Sarutobi nodded in response before puffing out smoke from his mouth.

"Then I guess we failed our first mission." Sarada muttered, her onyx eyes chagrined at the failure as she lifted her glasses up her nose bridge.

"No." Konohamaru said. "This isn't your first official mission yet. The farmer who sent us here lied to us about his real reasons for sending us here. First off, this isn't a Rank C mission. It's Rank A for goodness sake's."

"So what does that mean, sensei?" Lee Jr sat on a chair in front of his sensei, waiting for his response.

"Off to Konoha we go." the jounin put up a hopeful smile on his face as he declared.


	8. Chapter 8 : It Runs in the Family

**Additional Pairing: **[Konohamaru x Hanabi]

* * *

><p><strong>Quote of the Day:<strong>

_"A soul needs a purpose to live. And so I concluded that my purpose was to kill everyone besides myself. I felt alive."_

_— Gaara of the Sand_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight:<strong>

**It Runs in the Family**

_Location: (Uzumaki Residence — Bolt's Room)_

Bolt Uzumaki had just returned from his mission in Oto with Team 7 yesterday. As a result, the blonde spent the rest of yesterday lying in bed, drained and exhausted of what turned out to be a dangerous Rank A mission as opposed to the said Rank C. But it was all totally worth it. He got to spend more time with Sarada Uchiha, the girl of his dreams.

After his Hokage father heard of the incident, his team was placed on a day-off for the meantime, much to his disappointment. After all, Sarada and his team captain needed a break after they received injuries from their brief encounter with Orochimaru.

_Knock, knock._ Someone knocked on the door.

"Bolt honey, are you awake? It's almost noon. Time to get out of bed." his mother called from outside.

"The door's open, mom." Bolt replied a muffled response, pressing his face unto his pillow. He didn't feel like getting up from bed yet.

Hinata entered her son's room after he answered. She was fully dressed in her Hyuga Clan outfit, giving her the image of a noble kunoichi. It was also an indication that she will be on duty as part of the Main Branch family once again.

"Listen," she said as she sat on Bolt's bed. "I'm attending an important meeting at the Hyuga Estate today."

"And?" he asked glumly, his face still pressed on the pillow.

"That leaves you to take care of your little sister."

Bolt sat up after hearing what she said. He immediately turned towards his mother with a scornful look on his face. It's not that he didn't want to, he just had other things in mind aside from babysitting Himawari.

"But I'm hanging out with Shikadai and Inojin this afternoon. That's not fair!" Bolt whined.

"So? Take her with you then. I'm sure Himawari would love the company of you and your friends. That's not a problem, right?"

"Great." he sarcastically retorted, pouting once more.

Hinata gave her son a gentle kiss on his forehead before standing up. "You have responsibilities, being her big brother and all. She looks up to you. Your little sister adores you."

The blonde Uzumaki yawned in response.

"Take care of Himawari while I'm away, okay? Don't get into any trouble." she said, making her way towards the door to exit the room.

"Alright-ttebasa."

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Konoha Playground)<em>

"ALRIGHT-TTEBASA!" Bolt chirped as he kicked the soccer ball to the goal. "UZUMAKI BOLT SCORES FOR THE THIRD TIME!" The blonde may not be good in academics but he sure excelled at one thing the most: soccer.

Bolt, Shikadai and Inojin decided to play the game to pass the afternoon as a way of cooling themselves off the scorching summer heat. The weather was unbelievably hot. Thick heat seems to seep through the skins like a bug-bite.

"Nice kick, Bolt-kun!" Inojin complimented the blonde, wiping of sweat from his forehead.

"Troublesome." the Nara slouched, shoulders dropping lazily as he trudged to the other side of the field in preparation for the next round of the game.

Bolt also brought along with him his little sister, who obediently sat on the playground's swing, watching his brother play with his friends on the field from under the shade of a tall palm tree.

Himawari wanted to join them but her big brother had forbid her. But just like him, she was persistent.

"Big brother! Can Himawari play with you? Please?" she ran towards Bolt, bringing with her a teddy bear toy. Seeing them having so much fun made her jealous.

"No, Hima-chan. Soccer is for boys only." Bolt declined.

"Pretty puh-leeeaase? Please please please please —"

"No."

Himawari shot him a disdainful glare.

"Why don't you go and play on the swing? You don't even know how to play our game." He tried to convince her as he skilfully rolled the soccer ball from his right feet towards his left and wheeled it up his knees like a pro player.

"You're so mean to me nii-san… I'LL TELL MOMMY! WAAAAAH!" Himawari's lips began to quiver as she burst into tears and thrashed out her toy.

"Gee, Bolt. Just let your sister play with us." Shikadai sighed.

Inojin, the gentler one among the three, walked up to the weeping Himawari and crouched down in front of her to cheer her up.

"Hey Himawari-chan, would you like to play with me instead? I can push you on the swing." the Yamanaka beamed at her.

"But I want to play with my nii-san! I WANT MY BIG BROTHER TO PLAY WITH ME!" she wailed.

Bolt and Himawari used to be inseparable. They used to play a lot for the whole day, with Bolt giving his full attention to his sister. But as he grew older, he met other friends in school and he began to spend less time with Himawari. It's been like this ever since Bolt started attending the Ninja Academy. She started craving for his attention.

"Fine." Bolt sighed, realising the gravity of the situation.

And so the three boys played with the little Himawari.

They tried their best to adapt to her basic skills and kicked the ball at a slower pace. The three went easy on her, much to Bolt's disappointment. It's all because of Himawari that he didn't get to demonstrate his superiority at the sport. But as long as she stops crying, Bolt was happy enough to let her play with them.

_… an hour later_

"I'm hungry, nii-san." Himawari's stomach growled before she kicked the soccer ball towards Shikadai.

Playing under the heat of the sun along with older boys proved to be a stressful activity for the little Hinata-look-alike.

"Who's up for ramen?" Bolt announced to the others as well.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Konoha Streets)<em>

Bolt carried his sister in a piggy-back ride as he marched the streets with Inojin and Shikadai, on their way to the Ramen Restaurant. Konoha was busy and lively as usual, a place where one could easily get lost if not familiar of the place.

But as they turned to one corner, they spotted their Konohamaru-sensei walking along with Hyuga Hanabi by his side.

The two looked like they were just having a casual conversation but the Sarutobi looked nervous as they walked.

_He's finally making a move._ Bolt thought, grinning. He knew about the jounin's feelings for his Aunt Hanabi.

"Hey Shikadai. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Troublesome." Shikadai sighed as he slouched even more.

"What's that, Bolt-kun? I don't get it." the clueless Inojin asked.

"Hey Himawari-chan. Are ya' up for some adventure-ttebasa?" the blonde turned to his sister behind his back.

"Of course I am nii-san!" Himawari cheerfully agreed.

The three genins made their way to the rooftops that were close to where Konohamaru and Hanabi stopped by to continue their conversation.

Bolt placed his sister beside him as he and the other two eavesdropped on their sensei and the Hyuga talking.

* * *

><p><em>She's stunning<em>. The Sarutobi thought as he focused his attention on the Hyuga heiress' breathtaking beauty.

Hanabi had matured into a lady. Her hair has grown significantly longer up to her waist and is tied into a lower ponytail with two pink ribbons. She wore a long-sleeve kimono shirt which perfectly adorned her fair porcelain skin, making her all the more attractive in his eyes.

"So, Hanabi, I thought that you'd be at the Hyuga Estate today. " Konohamaru began. "I'm actually surprised to see you here."

"My sister Hinata is taking my place at the moment. Dear father supposed that I should be taking a day-off from my clan duties. And I'm really pleased of his decision."

"Great. That's awful nice of him. So um, do you have any other things to do tonight? Are you free per chance?"

_Please say yes._ Konohamaru hoped.

He found out a while ago that the Hyuga heiress was still single and available. Although rumours have been circulating that she is going to be married to someone from another noble clan but the Sarutobi took his chances.

"Why are you curious of my affairs, Sarutobi? What is it that picks your sudden interest?" Hanabi retorted in her usual _posh-and_-_royal-Hyuga-accent_.

"Oh. Nothing." his intentions have been kind of obvious. "I was just thinking that — maybe you and I can go out on a dinner tonight? You know, to catch up with the old times."

The Hyuga heiress eyed him curiously. She and Konohamaru graduated from the Academy at the same time but the Sarutobi didn't usually interact with her before. Although years ago, she saw him stealing glances at her from time to time during their class hours.

"I'm —" she began to realise his intentions. "Wait. Hold on. Pardon me whilst I check my schedule."

Hanabi said as she searched for a piece of paper that she always carries along with her to keep track of her daily schedule.

_Please say yes. _Konohamaru gave an audible gulp.

He had always admired her beauty from afar. Back then when they were still kids, he wasn't sure of his feelings for her.

Both of them were the same in a way but different at the same time.

They were **different** in a way: Konohamaru grew up without much attention from his grandfather, the very reason why he pulled pranks as a child to get his attention. On the other hand, Hanabi always had her father's attention, being the Hyuga heiress and all. Those were their differences.

But they were also **similar** in way: Konohamaru grew up with too much respect from the villagers in Leaf due to his status being the Third Hokage's grandson. On the other hand, Hanabi was feared by her peers who only came from ordinary families due to the prestigious reputation of the Hyuga Clan. Both of them were treated differently than a normal ninja due to their social status in the society.

Similarities and differences.

And it didn't take long before he realised that he had fallen in love with her.

"You look really pretty today, Hanabi." he suddenly blurted out whilst she was busy looking for her schedule.

_OH SHIT._ He cursed himself. That was careless.

But thank goodness she didn't hear him.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch that. Did you say something?" she finally found what she was searching for and scanned her eyes on her schedule.

"Oh I uh — I said that the weather looks _pretty nice_ today." Konohamaru lied.

* * *

><p><em>… a few minutes later<em>

Meanwhile, the three genins on the rooftop above them were snickering quietly. Eavesdropping on adults' conversations turned out to be an entertaining leisure time.

"Konohamaru-sensei's such a terrible lier." Bolt chortled, listening to his sensei's words.

"Grown-ups. So troublesome." Shikadai muttered.

"Hey guys… Listen. It's um —" Inojin poked his two friends to call for their attention about something important.

"Not now." Shikadai shoved the Yamanaka's hand away.

"But it's important. It's —"

"Shut it, Inojin. Our sensei will hear us!"

"What's the matter by the way?" Bolt asked, not letting his eyes off his sensei and his Aunt Hanabi.

"**Himawari-chan is missing.**" Inojin revealed.

"WHAT?!" Both Bolt and Shikadai snapped their heads towards the Yamanaka after hearing what he said.

The little Hinata-look-alike was just here a while ago with them. But because the three boys were too hooked up in eavesdropping with their sensei's conversation, they didn't notice her suddenly vanish out of their sight.

Panic began to set in Bolt's nerves. His spine tingled in fear, his heart raced faster at the thought of his sister's disappearance. His parents would kill him and definitely renounce him as their son for getting into this mess.

"H-How?! Wh-Where did she go?"

* * *

><p><em>Location: (at some restaurant)<em>

Akimichi Cho Cho was just telling her friend Sarada about the new jutsu that she had learned from her father as she gobbled up her mouth-watering beef stew. The two were on a girl's day out and decided to head to a restaurant for lunch.

But then she caught sight of something at the corner of her eye while eating. A child was crawling on the rooftop just above the building across the restaurant that they were dining in. Cho Cho shifted her full gaze towards the structure but their was no one there.

_Did I just see a baby crawling on the rooftops?_ The Akimichi asked herself. She then concluded that she was just hallucinating.

"What's wrong, Cho Cho? You seemed to be bothered about something."

Sarada asked her startled friend. She looked at the direction where the Akimichi was looking but saw nothing out of the ordinary outside.

"N-Nothing." Cho Cho dismissed what she saw a while ago. "I guess I just saw something… weird."

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Downtown Konoha)<em>

Bolt, Shikadai and Inojin scampered to the tallest tree all over the Leaf Village at once, in hopes that they'd get a bird's eye view of the whole Konoha and find Himawari.

But truth be told, she's just too small for them to spot her amidst the crowded streets of the village.

They scoured the whole area with their eyes, inspecting every single building as they ran their hands across the tall skeletal branches of the tree. Bolt, the quickest one among them, twisted his body as he neared the wrinkled elbow of a branch and hoisted himself up higher than the two on top of the tree.

"Darn it-ttebasa. Where could she be?!" the blonde swore under his breath, scanning the streets carefully for any signs of Himawari. "Any luck down there?"

"Nope." Inojin replied from a branch below him.

"Troublesome." Shikadai muttered.

"Look! It's Sarada-chan and Cho Cho-chan!" Bolt pointed at a distance below them. He saw the Uchiha and the Akimichi walking along the lively streets of the downtown village.

"Bolt, allow me to remind you that we're looking for your sister. _Not them_." the Nara made a low, guttural sound at the back of his throat.

"We could ask for their help, ya' know."

Wasting no time, the three climbed down the gigantic tree and ran towards the two girls who were surprised of their unexpected arrival.

"Sarada-chan! Cho Cho-chan! " Bolt called for the two whilst he ran.

_SHANAROOO! What's this idiot doing here?_ inner-Sarada manifested in the Uchiha's mind.

"Are you three causing trouble again? Because we ain't taking part in any of of it." Cho Cho guessed as she continued eating the pork ribs steak that she brought along with her, knowing the three too well.

"It's a long story —"

Shikadai began to explain and retell what had happened. A detailed summary about how Himawari suddenly disappeared.

…

"WHAT?!" both the girls exclaimed in unison after hearing the story.

"That's right." Inojin sighed. "We gotta find Bolt's sister before the end of the day."

"I saw her! Your sister!" Cho Cho recalled what she had seen before. "She was crawling on one of the rooftops just two blocks away from here a while ago."

"YOU IDIOT!" Sarada smacked Bolt on his head.

The blonde Uzumaki winced in pain after receiving a moderately strong whack from Sarada. Being the Uchiha's punching bag everytime he does something stupid seems to be the trend now.

"Ouch! That hurts-ttebasa!"

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO CARELESS, BOLT?! That's your sister for all you know! You're so irresponsible! What if she gets into an accident?!" Sarada started chastising him for his faults. "She could be in imminent danger by now."

But suddenly, a familiar face walked up to them along with his jet-black mutt and snow-white cuckoo bird.

Inuzuka Yuuto.

Son of Kiba's sister, Inuzuka Hana.

Yuuto wore a smug look on his face as usual, further emphasised by his dark-brown messy hair, sharp grey eyes with slit-like pupils and a pronounced canine teeth, giving him the untamed animalistic appearance.

Along with him was his black-furred wolf puppy **Ookami**, who resembled a cross-breed between a wolf and an ordinary dog. His golden amber eyes glinted with fierce, unparalleled loyalty towards Yuuto. The Inuzuka also has a long-tailed, medium-sized white hawk whom he fancied to call, **Hakuoh**. The avian roosted on Yuuto's shoulder, eyeing the other ninjas curiously.

He's one of the dead-lasts in the Academy but he always exudes that air of complacency despite his underachievement.

Yuuto is also a big time playboy.

And Uzumaki Bolt hates him.

"I can't help but overhear the loud mumbo-jumbo. A missing baby you say?" Yuuto said as he approached them.

"Hello, Yuuto-kun." the ever-jolly Inojin greeted.

The Inuzuka ignored the Yamanaka's presence and turned his gaze to the Uchiha instead. He began to wear his playboy face once more.

"Ah, the scorching sun smiles and the wolves of the day howl upon your mesmerising beauty, Sarada Uchiha." the Inuzuka started flirting with the Uchiha. "Seeing you just brightens up my moonless nights and darkest days."

"Jerk." Cho Cho muttered silently.

Bolt's blood began to boil. No one flirts with his Sarada-chan other than him. Ever since they were in the Academy, Yuuto had flirted with every single girl in school although they all ended up rejecting him.

Yuuto tried to touch Sarada's face but the Uchiha slapped his hand away. "Don't you dare touch me, mongrel."

"Ooh, playin' hard to get? I like that. Ruff." Yuuto imitated a dog's bark.

"BACK OFF dog breath!" Bolt got in between Sarada and the Inuzuka.

"Oh look, it's _Boruto_. Didn't see you there, _old chum_."

"What did you just say?!" the blonde hated being called that name. Bolt was the name that his peers call him and it snapped him once he heard the arrogant Inuzuka address him as _Boruto_.

"Are you deaf or just plain dumb, _Boruto_?"

"Why you —" Bolt glared at the Inuzuka in hostility. Then the two began to shift to their fighting stance.

"Feeling cocky because you're the Hokage's son? It's a shame that you're picking on me."

_SHANAROOO! Idiots!_ Sarada got in-between them in order to stop the incoming fight from stepping into the next level. Once she was in between the two, she gave both of them a formidable punch on their faces.

"WILL YOU TWO STOP?!" she yelled. "You morons have better things to do aside from arguing like babies." Sarada turned to the blonde Uzumaki. "Bolt, use your **Shadow Clones** to find Himawari, fast!" then she turned to the Inuzuka. "And you, use your pets to help track down Bolt's sister. IS THAT CLEAR?!"

* * *

><p><em>… 2 hours later<em>

With the aid of Bolt's Shadow Clones and Yuuto's animals, what was going to be a long search all over Konoha only took a two mere hours. But what they were about to see didn't prepare them for it.

Uzumaki Himawari.

Was crawling.

On top of the **Hokage Tower**.

"WHAAAT?!" Bolt's eyes widened as he started to quiver in panic. His father might see his sister any time now and chances are the Naruto would kill him if he finds out.

"OH MY GOD." Cho Cho covered her mouth in surprise.

"Please don't fall." Sarada felt nervous just looking at Himawari on top of such a high rise building. The sight of the toddler Uzumaki being on such heights drained the colour of her lips. She bit her lips as she began to picture herself being in her place right now.

"How did she get up there?" Inojin wondered.

"Troublesome." Shikadai muttered.

"The buildings all over Konoha are closely connected to one another through those channel pipes." Yuuto explained as he pointed on the pipes that were linking the various buildings in Leaf. "It must be how Himawari got up there. She crawled through those small pipelines."

Using the pipelines to get to Himawari wouldn't be such a bad idea — except that none of them could fit inside the small size of the holes.

"Shikadai," Sarada turned to the Nara. "Can you reach Himawari with your **Shadow Binding Jutsu** and hold her in place?"

"I'm afraid not. She's too high up there. My jutsu won't reach her." the Nara shook his head.

Only someone like his father Shikamaru would be capable of executing a really long-ranged version of the Shadow Binding Technique. He needed more practice to be on par with his father's skills of the jutsu.

"I'll go. I'm her brother after all." Bolt said.

Bolt: **"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

He produced dozens of Shadow Clones more than what he currently had just now. Then, Bolt used his clones to lift him up the Hokage Tower and be on the same level as his sister. But he was careful to avoid getting too close to his father's office. A wrong move could alert the Orange Hokage.

…

The Uzumaki succeeded in getting on top of the tower by climbing on top of his clones one-by-one, serving as his ladder to reach the top.

"Himawari-chan! Come back here!"

Bolt called for his sister once he reached the destination. He lifted his leg up carefully to hoist himself on top of the roofs as one of his clones assisted him.

She turned in time and beamed a cheerful smile innocently towards her brother, unaware of the perilous situation that she is currently in.

"You found me, nii-san! YAY! You win!"

Himawari cried out as she started crawling back to her brother.

_Is she seriously treating this like a game?!_ the blonde asked himself.

"Be careful-ttebasa. Just crawl back to me as slow as you can." Bolt silently prayed that she wouldn't fall off. He bit his lip in an attempt to hide his paleness due to the situation at hand.

Slowly, the little Hinata-look-alike moved on all fours using her hands and knees, creeping towards Bolt without even looking down at the ground below her. She was two hundred metres above ground level for goodness sakes. If she suddenly realises the precariousness that she's in, chances are that she'll panic and burst into tears.

"Don't look down, Himawari-chan. Alright? Keep up the good work." he gave her a brotherly piece of advice.

She crawled and crawled and crawled. Thank god she wasn't aware of what's happening around her.

Until finally, after almost shitting himself in the breathtaking dangerous situation, Himawari reached Bolt's grasp as he embraced her tightly in his arms. His sister was finally safe. Out of imminent danger.

"You had me worried-ttebasa." Bolt said to her. "Why did you run away?"

"I was hungry."

"Then you should've just told me. We could've bought food together."

"But I saw an ice cream man there, nii-san."

Himawari pointed at one of the billboards across the next building. The billboard had an advertisement of a man eating ice cream. It was what made her hungry all this time.

The blonde Uzumaki sighed.

So that was it? She just disappeared all of a sudden because she needed food?

Bolt got down the same way he climbed up. But this time, he instructed his clones to carefully pass Himawari down the shadow clone ladder until she makes it to the surface safely.

…

They made it back to the ground level and were immediately greeted by Bolt's friends. Their once-worried faces were now expressing of relief that the situation had been dealt with.

"Himawari-chan! Are you okay?" Sarada rushed to the little Hinata-look-alike. "Allow me to check her for any signs of post traumatic symptoms."

She immediately applied her knowledge in the medical field to assist Himawari, examining her for whatever she thought might've affected her psychologically.

"She's fine. Don't worry." Bolt confirmed, putting down his sister to the ground and letting Sarada examine her.

"You had us all worried, Hima-chan." Inojin approached the little Uzumaki and gave her a pat on her head.

"You and your sister always get into trouble in numerous ways." Sarada sighed after scowling at Bolt. Then she crouched down to be on the same height as Himawari. "Don't you ever do that again, alright Himawari-chan? You're big brother was _very_ worried of you."

Himawari nodded in response and twisted her lips into a smile before running back to her big brother and giving him a wide sisterly hug. She just loved sticking around with him, missing those moments when they used to be so close.

"You two are troublesome." Shikadai breathed out a sigh of relief.

"It runs in the family… I guess." Bolt replied as he hugged his sister in return.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Naruto and Hinata's Bedroom)<em>

The Orange Hokage came home to a familiar late night scenery. His wife sleeping soundly, deeply engrossed by the warmth emanated by their cozy king-sized bed.

Hinata's body was turned to one side. Her arms cuddling and her face pressed on Naruto's pillow that smelled strongly of him, longing for his presence. She waited for him to arrive home but sleep and tiredness got through her first.

Naruto got naked before getting into bed with her. The hot summer nights got to him and besides, Hinata was only wearing her black bra and underwear, and _oh god_ she looked so damn sexy. He was careful not to disturb her sleep as he crawled close to her side.

"Sweet dreams, Hinata-chan."

He whispered after he kissed her cheek and held her body close to his own in a warm cuddle. Hinata's body was a sight to behold. The skin-to-skin contact gave him a wonderful feeling as he wrapped his arms around her seductive physique.

But then, the bed began to creak when he shifted his position, resulting to the awakening of the sleeping Hinata.

"N-Naruto?"

Hinata slowly opened her eyes, aware of her husband's presence. She turned around to the other side so that she was now face-to-face with the him in bed.

"Hey." she said to him.

"Hey." he reached out an arm to caress her face. "Sorry I woke you up, Hinata-chan."

"It's okay." Her white Byakugan eyes fell on him, exuding deep affection and endearment.

"You should go back to sleep now."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"Help me sleep, Naruto-kun."

"And how can I help my beautiful wife sleep?"

Naruto shifted himself up and positioned his body on top of her own. His upper body pressed on hers, allowing him to feel her soft breasts on his naked chest as their torsos shared an intimate touch.

"Drown me with your kisses." she begged with a naughty grin on her face.

**x**

Hinata wrapped her arms around Naruto's bare muscular shoulders and started stroking his back with light, amorous touches which never ceased to excite him.

At the request, Naruto ravished her lips with his own, his tongue seeking entrance into her wet and hungry mouth. Hinata let out a lustful moan as he bit her lip before they shared a passionate battle of tongues.

The battle for dominance set fire deep within her loins, something that can only be doused by his intense and fiery love-making.

Naruto pulled back after a while, their mouths dripping of each other's saliva. His years with Hinata as her husband made him an expert in the art of kissing and he never failed to arouse his wife with this seductive talent.

"You smell so good, Hinata-chan."

"I'm always ready for you." she murmured.

He began to nibble her ears, tracing soft and wet kisses in her earlobes before he proceeded down her neck. She shuddered helplessly at his intimate display of affection.

Hinata's scent drove him wild. She always smelled like this — as if she bathed in a pool of perfume all day long.

His erotic actions made her tighten her grasp on his beefy body. Naruto knew her _weak spots_, parts of her body that will really drive her to sexual ecstasy. Hinata pulled him closer towards her, feeling his growing hard and stiff erection touching her thighs.

"Naruto-kun…" she moaned his name. His kisses rendered her mind blank as she could already feel her wetness soaking her lingerie.

Suddenly, she remembered something.

_I'm pregnant. _Hinata recalled.

"Naruto-kun… Stop…" she pleaded in between her moans and gasps.

But he did not heed.

Naruto used one of his hands to undo her bra and began clutching her soft breasts, teasingly pinching her already-hard tits whilst he smooched her nape. His other hand reached underneath her wet underwear and began parting the moist lips of her labia, searching for her clitoris.

Hinata's eyes rolled backwards at the erotic sensation.

"Please… Naruto-kun." she whimpered as she felt his hand rubbing her private part.

It felt too _good_ to stop him. Her thighs tightened around Naruto's hands that were skilfully feeling up her moist sex instead. She was loving it as his fingers dug deeper inside her.

Like a wild animal, he was deeply aroused by her moist tenderness and was now longing for an intense intercourse. As much as she wanted to have sex with him, the thought of being pregnant prevailed above the pleasure.

"Stop… Please." Hinata moaned. "It's… I'm… wait… EEEP!" Hinata squealed with sheer ecstasy at Naruto's next move.

Naruto started trailing his wet mouth downwards, down to Hinata's _oh-so-sensitive_ breasts despite her no-no's. Then, he began to suck her nipples gently, tugging and biting the delicate bud as he continued fingering her pussy. Naughty things that would really drive her over the edge.

"Naruto-kun…" she panted. Her face red at the intimacy.

"I want you, 'Nata-chan." Naruto's words were muffled as he continued sucking her tits as some of his fingers moved in and out of Hinata's pussy.

He missed being inside her moist depths. It's a strange world indeed. Men are born from a woman's vagina but they spend the rest of their adult lives trying to get back inside.

"But —" Hinata tried to intervene.

The Orange Hokage grabbed his stiff cock and positioned it to press on Hinata's soft wetness, ready to pump inside her in testosterone-rushed bliss.

"But I'm pregnant, Naruto-kun."

Now that specific _word_ made him stop.

"Oh. Yeah. Right." Naruto halted abruptly. His cerulean blue eyes carried a hint of disappointment as he lifted his head up closer to her face.

Her stomach wasn't that big yet so he forgot entirely about his wife's pregnancy.

_Pregnant wife? No sex._ He sighed.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have started _it_. I shouldn't have — you know." Hinata apologised, referring to Naruto's hard boner.

"No. It's alright. Don't worry-ttebayo."

"I feel bad now." Hinata let out an air of despondency.

Naruto gave her another gentle kiss on her lips. A brief kiss that still sent electrical impulses down her wetness.

"I have a very beautiful wife ya' know."

"Not this again." she responded with a smile at the flattery.

"She's all that I could ever ask for. She has a very nice, caring and gentle personality. Those pretty white eyes, her alluring scent and her … beautiful _boobs_."

"The last part — don't say it Naruto-kun it's embarrassing!" she blushed as she pinched his cheeks.

Naruto chuckled at her reaction. He loved teasing his wife.

"I like it a lot when you're flustered in bed. You make me really _horny-ttebayo_." he whispered seductively as he held her hand that touched his face. Such intimate bed talk was common between them but Hinata was still shy to open up about it after all these years.

"Shush." she licked his jaw, wetting it with her tongue.

"You're perfect, Hinata-chan. Everything about you is. From tip to toe, inside out. _Mm-hmm_." Naruto planted another brief kiss on her lips. He just can't get enough of her taste, that goes the same for her.

"Oh stop it, Naruto-kun."

"I love you." He murmured, nuzzling her nose with his own affectionately.

"I love you more."

"Love you most. Shadow clone that a billion times-ttebayo."

"Can't compete with that." Hinata giggled.

Lashes lifting, she curved her arms around his neck and tugged his face towards her to make out with him passionately. After the slow, deep seduction of their lovely kiss, Naruto finally lied down beside her in bed.

**x**

Hinata turned to Naruto's side and placed her arms around his waist, her head lying down on his bare chest.

"What should we name her?" Hinata asked as she firmly grabbed hold of his torso.

"_Her _? But I want a boy. Bolt needs a little brother."

"Girl." she insisted. "For Himawari."

Naruto tightened his arm that was cradling her body and started stroking her hair, her long and silky dark-blue hair. She liked being touched by him that way. His other free hand rested at the back of his head before he took in a deep breath.

"But boy or girl, it doesn't matter." she told him.

Hinata caressed his chest as it rose up and down, tracing his hard muscles and well-defined abs with her fingers.

When she reached his abdomen, Naruto shivered a bit at her ticklish touch. His body was so hard and muscular all over compared to her soft breasts that pressed on his torso.

"Why not-ttebayo?"

"Because we can have as many babies as you like. There's always room for more boys and girls." she giggled.

The Hokage's eyes widened at her words. He began to picture himself, having a huge family with his wife. Imagine all the amazing sex that he'll get to do with her— then all the babies afterwards. With his Hokage duties, spending time with each sibling might prove to be a challenging task. Hell, he could barely even spend time with Hinata.

"That's great, honey. Glad to know that my wife has _ambitions_." Naruto chuckled. Hinata's fingers roaming all over his upper body felt great. He was secretly enjoying it.

"So, how many babies do you like Naruto-kun? Five? Six? Or… We can make a dozen more kids! That's right, I'll become a proud mother of _twelve_ Uzumaki children."

"A DOZEN?!"

"Relax, I'm bluffing." she chortled. "But honestly, having more kids is not that bad, Naruto-kun." Hinata laughed innately at her teasing as she gave him a playful poke on his abdomen.

"I know. I know, Hinata-chan." Naruto grinned.

After a few more minutes of bed talk, the Orange Hokage finally drifted off to a peaceful slumber. Hinata listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat which served as her lullaby to sleep as she lied her head on his chest. It felt so safe to be wrapped around his arms.

The arms of the man she loves the most.


	9. Chapter 9 : The Discovery

**Quote of the Day:**

_"I am no one. I don't want to be anyone… This world is completely worthless. There is nothing left in it but misery." — Obito Uchiha_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine:<strong>

**The Discovery**

_Location: (A remote village, West of Otogakure)_

Devastation.

His solitary journey of atonement led him to some remote village in the West of Sound, with buildings completely razed to the ground in ruins.

Uchiha Sasuke looked around for any signs of life or clues that might lead him to figure out what happened. He trudged through the filthy scraps of wood and debris as rubbish surrounded the entire wrecked village, appalled to see such destruction.

"Anyone there?" an old woman's husky voice cried out.

_A survivor._ Sasuke thought.

He rushed immediately to the source of the call and found an old woman, covered in dust and filth looking extremely pale.

Her lower body was already squashed by the huge concrete walls that fell on top of her. By just looking at her, the Uchiha knew that she's never going to make it.

But he lifted the concrete walls up to give her a sense of relief. He wouldn't want to see her die a painful death.

Sasuke got out a water bottle from his backpack and gave it to the old woman. He held her head up to allow her to drink.

"Here." he offered.

But the woman refused the water, shaking her head.

"Thank you, young man. But I'm afraid that my time is up. You better save that one for yourself." she said to him, her voice weak and frail.

"What happened here?" Sasuke asked.

"Insects." the old woman coughed. "Swarms. Destroy."

_Kikaichu swarms._ Sasuke concluded at once.

"Where are the rest of the villagers? Are you the only survivor here?"

The old lady shook her head.

"They ran away. But I'm too old and frail, so I stayed. People left once they arrived."

"Just — Just hang in there, alright? I'll go look for help."

Sasuke looked around, pretending to give her a sense of hope. The next village is still a few miles from here but he knew that she's dying and won't make it that far. Chances are that she'd be dead along the way if he were still to carry her there no matter who fast he could run.

"No." the old woman muttered after coughs.

She grabbed hold of his hand and looked at the Uchiha with eyes full of certainty that she wasn't going to make it. The old woman knew that she was going to die anytime soon.

Then, she pointed up North.

Looking at the direction where she was pointing, Sasuke couldn't figure out what she was trying to tell him at first. But when he looked back to see her face, she's already long gone.

Dead.

_Rest in peace._ The Uchiha thought sadly.

Gently, he placed her head down and closed her eyes with his hand. He laid her to rest before standing up and continuing his journey. Sasuke was certain that she was trying to tell him something.

And he has to find out what.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Ichiraku's Ramen Restaurant)<em>

Team 7 was back on duty once more the next day. But much to their disappointment _(except Bolt's)_, their first mission back was no other than to serve at the Ramen Restaurant.

The Hokage figured that their first mission was a bit too harsh, so he decided to assign Team 7 on easier missions that are within Konoha's borders for the meantime.

Ichiraku's was flooded with customers, especially that they are offering discounts on their specialty meals for today. And due to the hectic schedule, they needed an extra pair of hands to assist them with a few things in the restaurant.

"This is stupid. How is this even a mission?" Sarada muttered as she dressed up in an assistant cook's uniform.

She took a quick loathsome glare at the blonde Uzumaki who was starting to get loud and eager to serve at his favourite place.

"Do we get free ramen after we finish this mission, sensei?" Bolt asked the jounin eagerly.

"No." Konohamaru replied.

"Darn it-ttebasa." his stomach grumbled. "I'm starting to get hungry after all."

After receiving their job descriptions and further instructions from Konohamaru, the team proceeded to their respective tasks.

**— — —**

Sarada was assigned in the kitchen to assist in preparing the dishes as the chef's assistant. She didn't hate cooking but it wasn't her specialty at all.

"One pork miso ramen, four orders of teriyaki chicken with fried rice and a dish of squid pepper with ramen." one of the staff members requested. "Orders are expected to be served in fifteen minutes.

The chef, who was skilfully chopping vegetables in the kitchen counter turned towards Sarada.

"Hey sweetie," the chef said. "Could you please defrost the chicken meat and squids inside the freezer for me? We need it_ fast_."

"Sure." Sarada nodded in response.

_You want it fast?_ _I'll give you fast._ Her lips twisted into a sly grin.

After getting out the frosted food out from the freezer, the onyx-eyed Uchiha wasted no time and did what a konuichi's gotta do in times like these.

Sarada : "**Fire Release: Mini-Fireball Jutsu!"**

By spewing small fire towards the frozen meat, they defrosted all at once — except that they got scorched and turned into meat that were as black as charcoals instead.

"Oopsies." the Uchiha muttered at her mistake.

_SHANAROOO! What have I done?!_

Every once in a while, she would spot her blonde teammate trying to sneak a slurp of the chef's ramen whenever he passes by the kitchen. In response, the Uchiha threatened to cut his arms off with the kitchen knife which sent him back to doing his own thing.

**— — —**

Lee Jr was tasked to serve the customers with their ordered meals. The bushy-brow was doing exceptionally fine except for the fact that he'd sometimes pry on other people's business too much.

"So ma'am, are you enjoying your youthful meal?" Lee asked a customer, earning him a bewildered stare as he served her order on the table.

"Excuse me?" said the customer.

"I said, are you enjoying the youthful meal?"

"_Youthful _?"

"Of course! Our restaurant only serves the best and the most youthful ramen out of all the restaurants here in Konoha." Lee began. "You see, those other food stalls over the next block are very un-youthful when it comes to offering their services and also they —"

Weirded out by him, the customer left.

Lee Jr sighed.

He didn't know what he said wrong but anyways, customers come and go. So he left to serve another customer with a very youthful optimistic outlook on life.

**— — —**

On the other hand, Bolt was sluggishly stacking finished ramen bowls on top of one another. He hated chores. Plus, the smell of heavenly mouthwatering ramen filled the atmosphere and it was definitely making him hungry.

Bolt was assigned to do one of the easiest tasks, which was cleaning up after the customers.

To his delight, some customers would sometimes leave their ramen soups unfinished. He savoured the moment whenever no other staff members were watching him and gobbled up the remaining food.

After wiping the table clean with wet cloth, he proceeded to the next one.

Surprisingly, a customer left in a hurry and left something.

"HEY WAIT! You forgot something! " the blonde called for the leaving customer.

But when he checked it, he thanked his lucky stars.

Ramen coupons.

Free.

All of them.

"ALRIGHT-TEBBASA!" Bolt secretly cried out in joy. Sneakily, he placed the free ramen coupons in his pocket without anyone watching him.

"Bolt, what are you doing?"

Konohamaru suddenly appeared behind him. The jounin was supervising his students in this mission and it was his duty to check on their work from time to time.

"N-Nothing, sensei." Bolt lied.

**— — —**

Not long afterwards, a couple of five shady-looking men entered the restaurant.

They wore straw hats and cloaks, covering most parts of their body except for their filthy and soiled boots, the type of boots that made them look like they've just crossed a muddy swamp, knee deep.

Five suspicious muddy men made their way to sit in front of one of the largest dining tables in the restaurant. Strangely enough, they were really quiet. Not even talking to one another.

Konohamaru eyed them with curiosity.

_I've never seen them around here before._ he thought.

Lee Jr came up to their table to take their order, dashing towards the soundless crowd youthfully to do his job.

"Greetings, gentlemen. How may I serve you in this youthful day?" the bushy-brows asked.

The men looked at one another like they were having some sort of telepathic communication. Their straw hats, still covering their mysterious eyes from full view.

"What's your specialty here?" one of them with a throaty voice finally spoke.

"Our pride and specialty is the Pork Miso Ramen. But we also have Shio, Shoyu and Tonkotsu soup flavours for your own youthful convenience." Lee Jr explained.

"We'll take the Pork Miso Ramen… five of it." the one with a throaty voice spoke for the crowd once more.

The Sarutobi continued to observe the men and then he noticed one of them take a quick glance at him before whispering to the other man beside him. He looked at them from tip to toe.

_They're definitely not from Konoha._ Konohamaru guessed.

Based from their muddy footwear and dirty clothes, it is most probable to assume that they must've come from afar and journeyed all the way to make it here.

Then, one of the men stood up from his seat without informing the others.

He was a bit lanky and definitely the tallest among the four of them. The lanky dude started walking around the restaurant, unmindful of his muddy boots that were leaving traces of dirt and grime everywhere on the floor.

"HEY-ttebasa, stop trudging around with your sooty boots." Bolt Uzumaki, who was now assigned to mop the floors whined.

But the man continued walking around the restaurant despite Bolt's warning, observing the place and pretending to be curious of the aquarium located near the restaurant's kitchen, filled with an array of colourful fishes.

"Darn it. What the hell. Is he deaf or something?" Bolt mumbled as he continued tracing his muddy footsteps until he reached him.

Bolt shot the tall shady man a hateful glare as he stood in front of him. Finally, the man noticed him doing all the mopping on the floor due to his mess and turned to him.

"Sorry, kid." the man whose voice was hoarse apologised and tipped his straw hat towards the blonde before going back to his seat.

"Ungrateful bastard." the Uzumaki muttered to himself silently.

It didn't take long before the four strange men finally got served with their ordered meals. They ate savagely, gobbling up the ramen bowls in a ferocious manner. No time for talking. They just ate like starving wild animals.

As if they've never eaten good food in days.

Konohamaru could no longer take it. He had to do something and interview these shady men.

"Good day, fellas. Enjoying the meal so far?" the jounin approached their table and grabbed a chair to sit in front of them.

They did not bat an eye on him but continued eating their ramen instead, pretending not to hear him say a thing at all. Konohamaru felt offended.

"Excuse me." Konohamaru cleared his throat. "But here in Konoha, it is considered rude to not listen to someone whilst they speak to you."

_That got their attention_. He grinned.

Suddenly, the men stopped eating at once.

"From where we came from, it is rude to interrupt someone whilst they eat." a man with a flat voice retorted.

"My apologies if I came out rude." the jounin said. "But where is this place that you say you come from?"

"What's that to you?" another one queried.

"Just out of curiosity, fellas. I've never seen you around here before. You don't live here in Konoha."

They looked at one another in mute speculation.

Suddenly, the four men stood up in unison. Their meals still unfinished and a few bits and pieces of pork still floating on their miso ramen soup.

_Shit._ Konohamaru swore to himself. His aggressive approach seemed to have roused their suspicions of his motives. Or they could be hiding something.

"I'm sorry. But please don't leave yet, gentlemen. You haven't even finished eating your meals." the Sarutobi plead. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"We've got places to go to." the tallest one with a hoarse voice replied.

"Places without rude people prying on our business." another man with a shrill tone continued.

Then, they left the restaurant the same way they entered.

"_Good job_, sensei. Nice customer service." Bolt suddenly came out of the blue and sarcastically commented.

Konohamaru sighed.

Well, nothing came out of the conversation. He didn't find out anything and he just drove away customers from the restaurant for that stupid reason. The jounin began to conclude that maybe he was wrong. Maybe they were just visitors, sight-seeing in Leaf.

_Maybe_.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (a forest, North of the remote village)<em>

The rogue shinobi of the Hidden Leaf followed the direction that the old woman was pointing at a while ago before she passed away.

North of the village.

Sasuke needed to investigate it somehow.

Surprisingly, it led him deeper inside the dark and smoggy depths of the forests nearing the boundaries of the Land of Sound and the Land of Lightning.

Something was eerily sinister about the forest. It wasn't something that could be seen but Sasuke could just feel it. The leaves of the surrounding towering trees swooshed with the direction of the wind, making hustling noises that filled the serene silence of the forest depths.

But.

Sasuke used his only remaining hand to grasp his Sword of Kusanagi, ready for danger.

Suddenly, he heard an ear-splitting buzzing noise approaching his way.

_The swarm!_ Uchiha Sasuke realised right away.

He hid himself from the swarm in a lightning fast pace, just among the wild thorn bushes that was closest to him at that time. It's no use fighting them without knowing their weaknesses. His elemental attacks won't work.

Of course, Sasuke knew well to suppress his chakra for a brief amount of time as the chakra-eating insects passed in order to avoid detection. Ignoring the prickly thorns, he concealed himself for a couple of seconds until the whole swarm of kikaichu passed by him.

_That was close._

Getting up from the bushes, he followed the kikaichu swarm to their destination.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Ichiraku's Ramen Restaurant)<em>

"Alright everyone, let's call this a day." Konohamaru declared to his team after lighting up his cigarette. "You've all done a great job."

Team 7's duties at the restaurant were finally over.

The sun was already close to setting and the street lights all over Konoha already lit up the lively village. It wasn't the closing hours for the restaurant yet but the owner, Ayame Teuchi, was kind enough to let the team end their mission and payed them with quiet a sum of money.

Bolt Uzumaki couldn't help but remember the free ramen coupons that he stole a while ago from the customer who left the restaurant all of a sudden.

He checked his pockets and got the coupons out before counting them. Nine free ramen coupons, a blessing.

"Okay, team. See you tomorrow at the meeting place for your next mission. Don't be late, alright?" Konohamaru dismissed his team and headed out ahead of them.

Lee Jr left next, saying that he's gotta get a youthful rest after the busy day.

But before Sarada Uchiha could leave, a hand grabbed her arm. She turned to see the blonde Uzumaki grinning while holding out a few ramen coupons in his other hand.

"Sarada-chan. Wanna have dinner with me tonight? I got free ramen coupons. See?" Bolt waved the coupons from his hand.

"Bolt, I —" Sarada was conscious of his hand, gripping her arm tightly. She began to blush.

"Please don't say no-ttebasa. I swear, we'll have an awesome date tonight." the blonde looked at her onyx eyes with his hopeful blue ones.

"N-No." she coldly replied, stammering.

"But … But we'll have fun. I promise! We can go out on a date as friends for now, right? I mean we —"

Sarada shoved his hand away from her arm forcefully. The Uchiha forced the red on her cheeks to disappear.

"Go home, idiot. I'm tired and it's been a long day." she took in a deep sigh. "Understood?"

Bolt's gaze shifted away from her, his cerulean eyes dropped low in disappointment.

Sarada turned to the opposite direction, ready to leave.

Feeling rejected, the blonde Uzumaki pouted once more. But his ninja way was to never give up. No matter how many times she might reject his offers, he will keep on persisting. In hopes that maybe one day, the girl of his dreams will finally say yes.

"Maybe next time you'll go out with me? I'll always be here for you, ya' know." Bolt added before she got to leave him completely.

But she didn't turn back to answer.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (The Uchiha Residence)<em>

Sarada Uchiha sat on the porch in front of her house after having dinner with her mother, playing with her cat Zuzu. She stroked her cat's golden fur as she purred at the touch while lying down on her lap.

"Zuzu, boys are really stupid, aren't they?" she asked her cat. "They just don't give up no matter how many times you say _'no'_ to them."

"Meow?"

Zuzu stared at her with her glowing green eyes. The feline adjusted her position, so that her stomach got the scratch from the Uchiha's hands.

"Sarada, you silly girl. You're talking to a cat. I bet you don't even understand a thing that I'm saying, right Zuzu?" she asked herself whilst she rubbed Zuzu's tummy.

Zuzu purred in response. Not because of her question, but the feline was loving her scratches.

The Uchiha sighed.

She recalled what happened a while ago. Bolt had asked her out — again. And once again, she said no. Plus, it never occurred to her that a boy would ask her out one day.

Especially Bolt out of all the boys in school.

Sarada thought he hated her, as they always argued and hurled insults against each other since they were little toddlers. They loved insulting one another, throwing witty phrases and sly retorts to irritate the other until one of them gives up.

And usually, the blonde never failed to piss her off.

Suddenly, Zuzu leapt out of her legs and ran towards the gate, purring.

"Good evening, Sarada-chan. Is your mother home?"

It was the Lord Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto. He stood just outside the gate in front of their house, dressed in his trademark orange Hokage outfit.

**— — —**

Sakura was busy washing the dishes used from dinner a while ago. Today wasn't so stressful for her as she had her day off from her medic-nin duties at the hospital. So instead, she spent the day at home, tending her garden and doing the household chores.

But she couldn't help but worry of her husband's safety.

She knew that Sasuke is away on his solitary journey. A crusade that meant a lot to him, as his ways of atoning for his past sins against Konoha and its people.

Her husband only had _one arm_, she remembered. She offered to give Sasuke a prosthetic one but his _Uchiha-superiority-pride_ refused her offer even though she was his wife.

"Mama! You have a visitor." Sarada called from the next room.

"I'm in the kitchen, Salad. Who is it?" she replied as she continued drying the already-washed dishes, wiping it with cloth.

Sakura placed the dried dishes back to their counter before turning back to see an old friend standing beside their dining table.

"Good evening, Mrs. Uchiha." the Orange Hokage grinned. He made his way towards the Haruno slowly.

"H-Hokage-sama?" the pinkette kunoichi was caught in surprise.

"Ya' know, it still feels weird for you to address me with such honourifics. Just call me like the way you used to." Naruto laughed inwardly. "No need to be a stranger to me-ttebayo."

The pinkette dried her wet hands with a towel before proceeding to give her old friend a big, wide hug.

Sakura missed Naruto — her old annoying and brash blonde teammate. But now times have changed. He's already a family man and someone very important in the society.

She remembered the last time they actually had a real one-on-one conversation, was the day before Naruto became Hokage. From then on, she rarely even saw him outside his office.

"Haven't seen you for quiet some time, Naruto. How's the Hokage life?" she asked before letting go of the hug.

" I just finished my Hokage duties for today and was about to head home. Well it's — How should I put this," he searched for the right word. "Stressful. Believe it-ttebayo."

"I bet it is. How's Hinata and your kids?" Sakura smiled.

"They're all doing fine. But I sometimes feel sorry for them. Ya' know," Naruto scratched his blonde hair. "I don't always get to spend time with them unlike before."

"You sure are a busy man now, aren't you? Being a father and Hokage at the same time, yet you still get to spend some time at home with your family."

_Home_.

Sakura thought of the word that reminded her of Sasuke once more. Her husband was rarely home. Once in every month, he'd come back for two days and then poof! He's gone again. What a man.

"Yeah. You're right but — I'm not just here to see an old friend, Sakura-chan." Naruto's tone became serious.

"I know. You're here for business." she replied knowingly.

Her ex-teammate was no longer the same immature and loud blonde, but whenever he is outside his office, he is there for a reason. Not just for a simple _'hi and hello'_.

Naruto searched for something in his pockets and pulled out a piece of paper that has been folded several times.

"A letter. From Sasuke." he said, handing out the paper to the pinkette.

"What does that man want now?"

Sakura accepted the letter, trying to look not-so-eager as she received it from the Orange Hokage. It's been a week since he last left home again and she missed him.

"I didn't open it-ttebayo. You should be the first one to read it." Naruto said.

The letter was wet and slimy. Like it had been chewed from someone's mouth before it was handed down to her.

"Why's this letter… slimy?" Sakura wiped the hand that touched slime from the paper.

"Ah, I forgot to tell you. Sasuke delivered it through his ever-convenient **Snake Express**." Naruto explained. "That letter came from a snake's mouth. I had to uh— make one of his snakes _vomit_ the letter in order to get it."

"Are you saying that this wet _thing_ is snake venom?!"

"Snake saliva? Yeah." he confirmed.

_SHANAROOO! _The pinkette kunoichi sighed. Her husband had done it once again. Sending letters through his snake couriers.

* * *

><p><span><em>Dear Sakura,<em>

_Sorry if I won't be home next month. I've discovered something of major importance, its information I cannot divulge to you as of now._

_I assure you that this has got something to do with a threat that is spreading across all of Shinobi World. Something that I wish I could just let go of so easily but letting this threat remain unsolved is just as hard as leaving you and Salad alone at home._

_I have to investigate this threat further as I continue along my lone journey. Don't worry. I'll be fine._

_Tell our Salad not to worry about papa, alright?_

_Love both of you._

_Miss you. xox_

_— Sasuke_

* * *

><p>Naruto watched his friend's expression whilst she read the letter. Based from her looks, he concluded that it wasn't something to be happy about when it comes to family matters.<p>

But Sasuke had sent him a separate letter for himself and he knew the reasons why he'd be away for much longer.

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked in concern.

Sakura crumpled the slimy letter and threw it to the trash bin beside her, much to the Hokage's astonishment. She looked infuriated but despondent at the same time.

"That asshole's not coming home next month." Sakura said to him.

"Oh, I see." the blonde sighed. "No wonder."

"What's this threat, Naruto? Is Sasuke-kun in grave danger?" her eyes, filled with utmost concern.

"I can't tell you what it is, Sakura-chan. Sorry."

"Can't you just tell him to come home instead?" Sakura pleaded.

Naruto watched her struggle to fight her emotions. His cerulean blue eyes eyed her with kindness and like a friend who'd never leave his side. But he had no choice.

"Ever since Sasuke left Konoha, he has resolved to cut his ties with the Shinobi Forces of the Leaf. So I'm sorry, but he isn't under my command, Sakura-chan." Naruto explained, lifting up a hand to pat her shoulder. "I can't tell him what to do. He's a rogue shinobi, working for _no one_."

"It's okay. I get it." she muttered.

He couldn't do a thing but give his old friend a genuinely reassuring smile of encouragement and positivity.

"Trust me. He'll be fine. I know Sasuke too damn well to say that he's going to make it through anything." Naruto gave her one last pat on her shoulder.

"I know." Sakura beamed him a confident smile.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (A swamp, near the boundaries of Sound and Lightning Village)<em>

That afternoon, Sasuke Uchiha continued following his targets.

Tailing the kikaichu swarm led him to a swamp, located near the boundaries of Sound and Lightning where the insects finally stopped, landing themselves on some huge unknown matter in the middle of the swamp.

The surroundings didn't feel pleasant and the air was sort of damp, full of mosquitoes and all sorts of shrubs were found around him.

Carefully, Sasuke took his first step on the boggy swamp.

With each step, his shinobi sandals sank a bit into the muddy, wet surface. Each plodding, bringing a sucking sound as he picked his feet up from the mud again.

_This'll take a while_. He muttered to himself.

Sasuke took a few more steps, his feet now muddy.

With each trudge, his muddy footprint quickly filled with water before disappearing once more, covered in a new layer of mud puddles and slime. He felt like walking on a sponge, buoyant and wet, making a sloshing sound whilst he lifted his feet.

"Shit!" he ducked, silently swearing when the insects started buzzing once more.

He feared that the kikaichu might've sensed his presence.

Luckily, they didn't. The insects continued to swarm over something huge that he couldn't make up.

But as he stepped further on to the swamp, Sasuke Uchiha began to step on something that wasn't muddy.

He looked down to see where he was currently stepping on and found his foot on top of something which resembled spherical and pod-shaped, tiny jellybeans.

_What the hell are these?_ Sasuke wondered.

The Uchiha reached down to pick up one of the tiny round pods that looked like jellybeans.

_Oh shit._ Sasuke began to realise what they were.

"Kikaichu eggs."

He looked up to see what the insect swarms were swarming on and now it made much more sense to him. A huge, densely packed group of what looked like jellybeans turned out to be their eggs.

But it was something much more than that.

"A kikaichu nest." Sasuke discovered.


	10. Chapter 10 : How It All Began

**Important Notice:**

This chapter will be told from a** 1st person** point of view. This is a FLASHBACK that starts **a day** before the Kikaichu incident began. It serves as a background story for the **new characters **that I've introduced in my fanfic. The normal chapter progression will begin next chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten:<strong>

**How It All Began**

* * *

><p><span><em>Dear Diary,<em>

_The turn of events today have been a mixture of fun and utter disappointment. Allow me to recall the sequence of events that took place._

_It all started out fine…_

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Orochimaru's Underground Hideout)<em>

"Naomi! Naomi! Wake up!" I hear a hushed whisper.

Slowly, I blinked my golden-green, snake-like eyes that can see through the darkest depths of a lightless realm. I have been awakened from my peaceful sleep.

"What do you want, Akane?" I hissed at her with my ophidianoid tongue. My voice echoed throughout the underground hideout.

**Akane Hozuki**, daughter of Karin Uzumaki and Suigetsu Hozuki, woke me up. The redhead stood beside me, eager to get me out of bed.

She inherited her mother's red and spiky hair, and crimson-red eyes but got her father's looks. Her pointy shark-teeth protruded from her lips even though she'd shut them.

But the bed felt like heaven, warm and welcoming at the same time.

And because we live in an Underground Laboratory Hideout, there was no telling what time of the day it is in the outside world.

"Everybody else is away," she began. "Now's our chance to sneak out of the hideout and see the world!"

"No kidding." I yawned, but shifted my position in bed to face her direction. Still not getting up.

"C'mon! Daylight's burning fast! I went outside a while ago and it's still daytime." the redhead convinced me.

Wasting no time, Akane and I made our way to the exit of the underground hideout, although I was being cautious to make sure that my snake of a father didn't set up any traps that might alert him if leave from hiding.

I won't lie.

With a burning passion, I hate my father. And I've got a number of legitimate reasons. But number one is the fact that he doesn't let me leave our underground hideout without _him_ accompanying me all the time, even with Akane by my side.

I bet you're thinking that he's being _overprotective_? _Wrong._

You see, I am not just his offspring nor his foster child.

I am his _clone_.

My father's **female clone** to be exact. So why should he prevent me from doing what I wish like I am his property? True that we are in hiding due to his past criminal acts, but he still doesn't trust my abilities to grant me the independence that I deserve.

I was _"born"_ or I'd rather use the term, _"artificially procreated"_, not via the intricate processes of vigorous copulation with the opposite sex. As I doubt that my creepy father would even find a suitable woman to engage in coitus with him.

"Where's my father?"

I asked as we rushed towards our destination, my messy dark hair floating freely in the air whilst we ran.

"Don't know." she said flatly. "But he isn't here, that's for sure. Which means that we get to sneak outside and play!"

A blast of sunlight intruded our vision as Akane and I shimmied ourselves through the small tunnel holes towards the exit of the underground hideout.

In response, I squinted my sensitive snake eyes to adjust at the beaming brightness.

"Whoa." I said in awe.

I looked around in amazement.

It's been three days since I last got exposed to sunlight and saw the marvellous wonders of the nature, as a result of being locked in my father's hideout dungeon to be treated like a prisoner.

"See? What did I tell you? The outside world is beautiful!" Akane yelped with excitement.

"It's been so long since I last saw daylight." I said, looking around the environment like a new-born baby.

"Me too! We should do something fun while we're outside."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I turned to Akane, the one-and-only best friend that I ever knew, with a devilish grin on my face.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (The Land of Sound)<em>

Otogakure was just a few miles ahead of our hideout.

Since no one's left in the hideout but us, Akane and I agreed to take a quick secret visit to the village before the adults arrive.

We wore our hoodies and tried our best to keep a low profile as we trudged through the busy streets of the Sound Village in a solemn procession.

"Where should we go first?" Akane broke the silence and asked me, trying her best to keep up with my pace.

"I don't know." I said.

Honestly, I really don't.

It's been quiet a while since I've been here in Otogakure. The scenery hasn't changed that much. We bumped across all sorts of people on the way — from farmers, refugees and orphans. But the marketplaces were still everywhere and definitely a common sight.

The **Sound Village** was once owned by father you see.

But that wasn't until some guy by the name of Uchiha Sasuke betrayed his trust and killed my father. But the treacherous Uchiha eventually revived him once more during the Fourth Shinobi War when he needed his help.

By that time, the control of Otogakure was already passed on to the Fire Daimyo and my father was declared as dead or missing, unbeknownst to those who didn't get to see him during the war against Ten Tails.

"Hey look! What are those?" Akane pointed at something just a few metres up ahead and dragged my hand along with her.

"Wait up! Where are we going, Akane?"

The ever-curious Hozuki took us to one of the most bizarre places that I've ever seen throughout Oto.

"G'day, girls. Welcome to my very own rare items collection shop." an old man with a grey beard asked. "Anything rare that picks your interest today? Feel free to look around."

In front of us lied his mini-shop of odd and strange collections of whatever these things are that he considers to be "rare" merchandise.

Ranging from so-called _rare weapons_ up to extinct dead organisms that were labeled as _fossils_ were stored in jars as part of the display.

As far as I'm concerned, I can just tell from plain sight that some of these displays were fake. Definitely hand-made to look like the original. Anyone foolish enough to spend valuable money on such hoax products must be very unfortunate.

"What's that?" I fixed my gaze on something which obviously stood out from the rest.

A glittering grey cloak.

The only object didn't look _"fake_" to me.

"Ah, good pick. That one's very rare and special indeed. Crafted and tailored by a once great shinobi of _Uzushiogakure_." the old geezer explained.

"And?" I eyed him, expecting further details.

"It's a **Camouflage Cloak**." He said. "Whoever wears that cloak is granted full _invisibility_ from enemies or anyone as a matter of fact. It works by coating you with an invisible fuinjitsu, plus concealing your Chakra from enemies to avoid detection."

"That's wicked sick! I think that came from my mother's old village a long time ago." Akane cried out, remembering her Uzumaki heritage.

Then she added. "_The Land of Whirlpools, _ya' know?"

We both looked at each other knowingly and read our minds.

"We'll take it." I said. "How much?"

* * *

><p><em>Location: (a sushi restaurant in Oto)<em>

After we bought from the shop, Akane led the way and brought us into a humble sushi restaurant nearby.

"Ooh la la." the redhead turned her gaze to a couple of boys sitting on the other side of the restaurant.

_Boys._ The species that have picked our interests since the day our hormones started working on puberty.

There were _no boys_ in our age back at the hideout.

It was just us — me and Akane, my father, Suigetsu, Karin and before, there was Jugo. Two twelve-year-old girls surrounded by a bunch of overprotective grown-ups.

"Keep your hoodie down, Akane! What the hell." I hissed at her. She began to show a bit of her face to the males and waved at them.

"Oh c'mon. I've never had any real interactions with boys before. And neither have you. Besides, aren't they cute?"

Akane flushed as she started flirting with a wink towards the boys. But they ignored her attempts of wooing them.

I chortled silently at her failure.

"How dare they ignore me!" she gritted her shark teeth in frustration.

Akane seemed to have inherited her mother's fascination for cute boys.

During our bedtime stories when we were still toddlers, her mother Karin would often tell us stories about her crushes on several boys, including the one who once killed my father, Sasuke Uchiha.

Suddenly, I panicked. Two large, meaty hands landed on each of our heads, much to our surprise. Akane and I froze.

"How did you girls get here?" a man with a monotonous voice spoke.

I turned around slowly to see who it was.

"J-Jugo?"

It was Jugo, one of my father's previous accomplices. The guy once lived with us in our hideout . But three years ago, he left after he got cured of his mental illness, hoping to start a new life as a shinobi of Otogakure.

"W-We were just going to have lunch. Right, Akane?" I looked at the Hozuki, who nodded in response.

"Lies." Jugo said before letting go of our heads. "Orochimaru won't let you leave the hideout without escorts. You two girls have been very naughty, haven't you?"

Jugo sat beside us, raking his ginger hair as he did so. As what I can see, he finally obtained his very own Otogakure Forehead Protector that he proudly wore on his forehead. He must be a jounin of Oto right now.

"Uncle Jugo, please don't tell our parents. We don't want to get into any trouble." Akane begged.

"No need." Jugo shook his head and shifted his gaze outside the restaurant.

Akane and I both looked at where the ginger was looking at and saw Suigetsu and Karin, waiting for us outside the place looking mad and impatient.

"You've both been busted." Jugo laughed inwardly.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Orochimaru's Underground Hideout)<em>

We got caught and sent back to the hideout eventually. To my surprise, Jugo came back with us to discuss something of utmost importance with my father.

But it could all wait after he finishes ranting about my mistakes. On the other hand, Akane was getting the _talk_ from her parents at the other side of the room, leaving me alone with my father.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stay inside the hideout where you're safe, Naomi?!" Orochimaru hissed towards me. "WHAT IF SHINOBI CAPTURED YOU AND FOUND OUR HIDEOUT?! They could interrogate you and torture you by all means! You simply just cannot leave here without escorts!"

"That's patently absurd!" I blurted back. "Are you saying that I'm too weak to defend myself against them?! I bet I can even get on par with a dozen of them all at once."

"Don't you dare talk back to me, insolent brat! You don't know what you're blabbering about." my father retorted, flicking out his snake-like tongue in fuming rage.

"Well guess what?" I then emphasised. "I. Hate. You."

That definitely shut him up for a while.

I shot him a detestable glare and we both looked at each other's snake-like eyes, as if we were having a staring contest. But he doesn't intimidate me. My father can't faze me.

"You just don't get it." he began. "I'm a missing-nin. My name is in the Bingo Book and there's a bounty on my head. If the public discovers you, they'd find ways to track us down and kill us."

"I'm not stupid. I know that."

My father made his way towards a table and gestured me to come to him. I was hesitant at first but I obeyed.

"What?" I asked impatiently.

"See this?" he asked as he held out a transparent glass jar.

The glass jar contained insects, **kikaichu** I think that's what they are called. They flew around inside the jar and I could here their buzzing noise from where I stood.

"Kikaichu." I said to him.

"Yes, but I made them special." my father added. "You see, I bionically engineered these kikaichu's via altering their genetic predisposition. Such a lovely specie."

Orochimaru stared at the organisms in the jar, observing their quick movements.

"Don't even start about science."

"It's necessary for you to be aware of these." Orochimaru hissed. "That's because I plan to use these insects to serve as the _main defence system_ for our hideout. So if anyone dares to enter without permission, they'd be annihilated by these kikaichu."

He gave the jar to me, allowing me to hold it with my own hands and examine the insects closer for myself.

"What makes them so special, you say?" I queried.

My father then led me to the other side of the laboratory, showing me some a dead organism's flesh. Its rotten smell got through my senses and I find it absolutely disgusting. It didn't only smell disgusting, it _looked_ disgusting.

"Ugh, what in the world is that?" I covered my nose.

"It's a sample flesh of the legendary **Ten Tails**. Found it when I joined the Fourth Shinobi War a long time ago." Orochimaru explained.

Then he went on and on about the specific trivialities of what he went through during the war and fought side-by-side with the _Allied Shinobi Forces_.

"Why'd you help them?" I asked. "Konoha is the reason why you're an outcast in the first place, father. I don't see the reason why you lent assistance to your enemies."

"People change, Naomi. And I have long since abandoned my sinful past." my father said.

"Bullshit."

I don't believe this. Being his clone and all that, I couldn't help but feel the surge of hatred that he once had felt for the people of the Hidden Leaf a long time ago. This feelings of resentment against Konoha for what they did to him a long time ago, still courses through my veins.

He glared at me and flicked his snake tongue out.

"Anyways, those kikaichu share the same properties as the Ten Tails."

"Such as?"

"By altering the DNA structure of the kikaichu, they inherited the properties of the Ten Tails." my father proudly explained. "Immunity against elemental ninjutsu and ordinary chakra."

"So you're saying that we can't kill them?" I asked.

"No, that's not it. These insects can be rid of. But they only have three weaknesses: **taijutsu**, **weaponry**, and their ultimate enemy is **senjutsu chakra**."

Amazing.

Despite my hatred for him, my father never ceased to amaze me. By creating this type of army, I believe that he will be more than ready to take on the Shinobi World and annihilate his enemies.

* * *

><p><span><em>… So yes. That's what happened. But despite the unfortunate turn of incidents, I came up with a brilliant idea in my genius mind.<em>

_But I don't get it. Konoha had done my father wrong things in the past. Why not take revenge again? Why change for the good? Kindness is weakness. And I shall prove my father wrong of what he did._

**_I, Naomi, shall surpass him._**

_So let me tell you what happened the next day or night I shall say. For it was the night that changed my life in a whole new way…_

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Orochimaru's Underground Hideout)<em>

Nightfall came.

Hastily, I grabbed the Camouflage Cloak that Akane and I had bought from that bizarre shop just yesterday morning. I wore it and looked for myself in front of the mirror.

I am invisible.

"Akane? Are you awake?" I poked the redhead, making sure that she's sound asleep.

Luckily, she is.

"Good." I muttered to myself.

Yesterday night, I thought about this whilst I lay in bed. After hours and hours of contemplation, I can't seem to see the reason why my father wouldn't do anything to invade Konoha.

Truth be told. I am sick.

Sick of not being free.

**I want freedom.**

To experience the things that normal girls my age do. Meeting boys, kissing boys, studying in school and all those juvenile things that Karin had told Akane and I in her bedtime stories about her childhood a long time ago.

I want to live a normal life without having to hide because of the wrongs that my father had done.

Wasting no time, I made my way towards my father's laboratory. Sneakily, I took light footsteps towards my destination.

To execute my ultimate plan.

If Konoha can't be taken down through brute force, then I shall do it in another way.

By depleting their resources.

You ask me how?

* * *

><p><span><em>… That night, I did what I had to do.<em>

_My plans cannot be ruined. I must succeed. And I will succeed in accomplishing the things that my father had failed._

_And so,_

I RELEASED THE KIKAICHU.

_And that's how it all began._

_Naomi, signing out._

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter<strong> We will return to the normal **3rd person** point of view!


	11. Chapter 11 : To Become Stronger

**Quote of the Day:**

_"Getting rejected always makes a man stronger. But then again, men aren't meant to pursue happiness."_

_— Jiraiya, the Toad Sage_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven:<strong>

**To Become Stronger**

_Location: (In front of Ichiraku's Ramen Restaurant)_

Morning. And Bolt Uzumaki was on his way to the Team 7 Training Grounds for another meeting with the rest of the team.

But as he marched through the busy streets of the Hidden Leaf, he was surprised to find massive crowds of people flocking in front of Ichiraku's Ramen Restaurant.

"What going on-ttebasa?" the blonde wondered.

"_Thieves_." one of the villagers said. "How dare they."

"Who would do such a thing?" another villager whispered.

The blonde Uzumaki shoved his way through the mob in order to see what happened at Ichiraku's. Being the smallest one among the tall crowds of people proved to be an advantage. The blonde Uzumaki crawled his way to the front to get through.

Then, he saw a familiar face.

"Konohamaru-sensei!"

Bolt rushed towards his team captain's side.

"Bolt? What are you doing here?" the smoking jounin turned towards him after puffing out a smoke from his cigar.

"What happened, Konohamaru-sensei? I thought —"

He was gonna ask but then he stopped himself.

Bolt shifted his gaze to the sight before him. It turns out that someone had broken into the Ramen Restaurant.

The restaurant's glass windows have been shattered, an indication that someone had snuck their way in through the passage. Chairs and tables inside the building were flipped and overturned, lots of furniture destroyed, the whole restaurant was a catastrophe.

A robbery had occurred.

A crime scene.

"Someone broke into Ichiraku's last night. Well, not just one person. They were a group." Konohamaru explained.

"This sucks-ttebasa." Bolt whined. His favourite restaurant would be closed for days because of this.

"And look." the jounin pointed at something.

Bolt looked at where his sensei was pointing at and saw something familiar.

_Muddy footprints._

Everywhere on the crime scene.

"Wait. You think it's —" the blonde immediately caught up with the jounin's speculations.

"Yes. Those suspicious men yesterday. Do you remember them? I hardly even saw their faces." Konohamaru asked.

When Bolt was mopping the floors yesterday as part of their mission, he remembered one of the men wearing straw hats walk around the restaurant, leaving muddy footprints everywhere because of his sooty boots.

"Kinda' do, sensei. But I didn't get a full view of their faces. What did they take from the restaurant?" Bolt wondered.

"Just ramen ingredients. Luckily, our shinobi forces arrived on time and prevented further items from being stolen." Konohamaru said. "But they got away."

Bolt clenched his fists.

"Screw those weirdos! There's no way that my favourite place is closing down because of this mess." his lips twisted into a grimace.

The Sarutobi threw away his cigar before turning to his student. He knew that those men yesterday had other motives aside from eating at the restaurant. Their clothes, the way they acted and their looks were already suspicious enough.

"I shouldn't have let them get away." Konohamaru sighed and scratched his head, admitting his mistake.

"It's not your fault, Konohamaru-sensei. We didn't know what they were up to yesterday." Bolt beamed him a reassuring smile.

"Right." the jounin muttered. "Let's go get Sarada and Lee. We're reporting this to the Hokage."

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Hokage's Office)<em>

Naruto received a recent news about the incident that took place last night earlier that morning. Not long, Team 7 arrived and proceeded to give details on what they know about the robbery incident that took place at Ichiraku's.

"I think we might know a thing about the thieves involved with the robbery last night, boss." Konohamaru began.

"That's right-ttebasa!" the young Uzumaki said.

"What's the evidence?" Naruto asked.

"Muddy footprints." Konohamaru said. "Yesterday, a group of suspicious men ate at the restaurant and left the same muddy footprints like the ones we found in the crime scene." the jounin answered with details.

The Orange Hokage took a deep breath as he checked on the file reports, scattered all over his desk. He read the papers and scanned his eyes all over the documents before turning back to the team.

Not long, the door to the office opened up.

"Hokage-sama?"

Nara Shikamaru entered, bringing along with him more papers and results from the investigations conducted by an intel squad assigned to do the mission.

"What have you got, Shika-san?" Naruto queried.

"Looks like we've figured out where the thieves came from." said the adviser.

Shikamaru nodded to Team 7 in acknowledgement before proceeding towards the Hokage's desk and handing out the papers to Naruto.

"I see." Naruto skim-read the report quickly, then turned to Team 7. "I'm sure that I can entrust your team with valuable information, Konohamaru. What I am about to tell you is not yet publicised throughout Konoha."

"You can count on us-ttebasa!" Bolt replied.

"Two days ago, a terrible incident occurred at a remote village West of Otogakure." Naruto began, referring to Sasuke's discovery. "And the kikaichu swarms are involved once again."

They all looked at the Hokage intently, lending him their full attention.

Naruto continued. "The men whom you've found to be suspicious yesterday are **survivors of a kikaichu invasion** in their village. Some of them came along with their families to seek refuge here in Konoha."

"Refugees from Oto?" Lee Jr finally spoke.

"Yes." the Orange Hokage nodded. "They are refugees from Oto who fled their hometown when it got invaded by the insects-ttebayo."

"Konoha began accepting an group of refugees coming from the affected villages, ever since the kikaichu started to spread weeks ago." Shikamaru added.

"But the public hasn't been informed about this yet. Although I guess some villagers are already aware of these small changes." the Hokage continued.

Recently, there have been new faces walking around Konoha. People whom they haven't seen before or those who aren't even part of any clans here in Leaf.

"But why steal food from Ichiraku's?" Bolt asked.

Before the Hokage got to answer, the all-knowing Uchiha genius interrupted to speak out the obvious.

"Simple." Sarada lifted her glasses up. "They needed food to support their families. What else is there to go on? Refugees need basic needs in order to survive, as much we all do."

"That's right, Sarada." Shikamaru praised the prodigy. "And according to our intel squad, some refugee groups are living outside the village within settlements. We suspect that some of the survivors are sneaking inside nearby villages to steal food for their families."

After a few more minutes or so of explanation, the Hokage dismissed the team.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Team 7 Training Grounds)<em>

The Team made their way back to their training grounds, after Konohamaru told them that something of utmost importance was going to be announced by him.

Konohamaru ordered his students to huddle up before he starts to announce the news.

"Listen, team. I've got something important to announce." the jounin puffed out a smoke from his cigar.

"Quit making us wait, Konohamaru-sensei! Just tell us already-ttebasa!" Bolt whined.

"Alright, alright. But before that, let's have a sparring session first to start the day." Konohamaru said. "First up, **Bolt VS Sarada**. Are you two ready?"

Their eyes widened at the sudden declaration.

Bolt's lips twisted into a mischievous grin. He knew that his chances of winning against The Rookie of the Year in the Academy are quiet low, but it wouldn't hurt to strike a deal that might change his life.

On the other hand, Sarada let out a confident sigh. Her Uchiha superiority complex gave her the self-assurance that she was going to win anyways.

"Hey Sarada-chan, wanna have a bet?" the blonde began.

"What do you want, idiot?"

Sarada replied as she trudged on towards the other side of the field to prepare for their upcoming match.

"If I win this match, you'll go on a date with me tonight."

"Wh-what?" the Uchiha's face flushed in response.

"If I win, you'll be my _girlfriend_. Deal?" Bolt grinned, making his _nice-guy-pose_.

Sarada tried her best to suppress her blush. True that he may have been annoying to her, but for reasons she couldn't explain, there's just something about Bolt asking her on a date that made her heart race faster.

"What if you lose?" she cleared her throat.

"Then you won't have to be my girlfriend." he said.

Konohamaru sighed. _Young love. _"Enough with that, you two love birds. Time's ticking."

"How youthful." Lee Jr muttered. "I'M GOING TO CHEER FOR BOTH OF YOU, MY YOUTHFUL COMRADES!"

Under the rays of the early morning sun, the two Genins positioned themselves at opposite sides of the training grounds. The Uzumaki and the Uchiha adjusted to their fighting stances. But to the blonde's surprise, Sarada got out a brand-new weapon from her backpack.

_A bow and arrow._

"I didn't know that you use those weapons, Sarada-chan. That's new." Bolt gulped. His cerulean-blue eyes eyed the weapons anxiously.

Sarada didn't reply.

Instead, she pulled out an arrow from behind her and armed her bow, ready for battle.

The weapon was given to her by her father. Uchiha Sasuke had taught her how to use the weapon since she was three years old just like how Itachi had once taught him the same thing, with hopes of passing down his expertise to his daughter.

_Oh god. I'm done for._ Bolt panicked.

"What's wrong? Scared?" Sarada mocked him. "Why don't you make your shadow clones now, Bolt?"

"I'm not scared of my future girlfriend." he retorted with a chuckle, attempting to tease the Uchiha.

"_Future girl— _what_?_"

_SHANAROOO! He's doing it again._ inner-Sarada manifested. Now she's nervous. Her once superior composure faltered. If she loses, she might actually have to date the blonde Uzumaki and be his girlfriend. Sarada blushed once more.

"BEGIN." Konohamaru announced.

Wasting no time, the blonde Uzumaki performed the necessary hand seals for his trademark jutsu.

Bolt: **"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"**

A dozen more blondes appeared on the field and lunged forth the Uchiha who confidently aimed the bow towards one of the clones.

"Clones for my target practice. How convenient." Sarada said with a grin on her face as she stretched her loaded bow and aimed.

_Fire!_ The Uchiha locked her onyx-eyes on the targets before shooting her first arrow, aimed at one of the running shadow clones. It hit the shadow clone Bolt successfully on the leg, dispelling him.

**— — —**

"Impressive." Konohamaru muttered as he watched Sarada shoot the arrow with accuracy.

**— — —**

But once the Bolt shadow clones got nearer and nearer, Sarada managed to dispel _three_ more shadow clones with her arrows before she decided that it was time to engage in _hand-to-hand_ combat.

The shadow clones surrounded her, waiting for their turn before attacking the Uchiha one-by-one.

"GOTCHA-TTEBASA!" one of the Bolt shadow clones yelled as he threw a punch towards her.

Sarada used her bow efficiently to dodge the upcoming punch before performing a quick body-swerve to evade the series of attacks successfully. She then countered with a roundhouse kick towards the blonde's whisker-face, sending him flying towards the other clones before dispelling.

"Attacking me one-by-one is a bad idea you know." she muttered, lifting her glasses up.

"Don't underestimate us!" the Bolt clones replied together.

Another clone charged towards her with a careless tackle, but she grabbed hold of his arm and mowed him down to the ground, dispelling the clone. Then she quickly grabbed an arrow to shoot a clone's thigh.

"Time to _heat_ things up a bit." Sarada said after dropping her bow to the ground.

Sarada leapt up high in mid-air while performing hand-seals to execute an Uchiha signature technique.

Sarada: **"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"**

Infernal fire engulfed the Bolt shadow clones, dispelling them all, scorching the training grounds and leaving a searing mark on the surface below her.

_Wait, where is he?_ Sarada wondered as she searched for the real Bolt.

If all the "Bolts" on the surface just then turned out to be simply _shadow clones_, then the real Bolt must be hiding somewhere else.

"Right behind you, Sarada-chan!"

The blonde Uzumaki appeared behind her lightning speed, ready to strike a taijutsu kick.

_I knew it._ Luckily, her quick reflexes allowed her to counter the mid-air kick and she managed to swerve away from the attack before they both landed to the ground.

"SHANAROOO!"

With a punch packed with brute force, an immense strength which Sarada inherited from her mother, she landed a relatively strong blow towards the Bolt's stomach. Bolt flinched at the colossal impact, his back landed on a tree just on one corner of the Training Grounds.

_… 5 minutes later_

"Excellent work, Sarada." Konohamaru praised the Uchiha. "Bolt, you need to work on your taijutsu some more. But your surprise attack was impressive."

"Don't I get to spar, sensei?" Lee Jr asked.

"Well," the jounin turned towards the Uzumaki. "Considering Bolt's condition at the moment, maybe you'll get your chance another time, Lee."

Sarada felt proud of her victory, but as she shifted her gaze towards the blonde, she couldn't help but feel bad for what she did to him a while ago. Maybe she was being a bit harsh towards him.

_SHANAROOO! Why does he look so depressed_?! The Uchiha thought.

Bolt quietly sat on the ground beside Lee Jr. He hasn't spoken for quiet a while now. A miracle that the loud blonde managed to keep his mouth shut for five minutes.

"Are you alright, Bolt?" Konohamaru noticed the blonde's silence.

"H-Huh? Oh yeah. Of course I'm alright, sensei." Bolt flashed a weak smile towards him.

_Not really._ The blonde silently thought. He wasn't pouting because Sarada had hit him hard and defeated him. But a sudden realisation dawned on him, a realisation that changed his mind about something. Bolt stared at the ground in front of him glumly.

"Alright. Now for my announcement. Lend all you eyes and ears on me, team." Konohamaru flicked a lighter to light his cigar up before speaking. "I believe that two months from now, you'd all be prepared already."

"Prepared for what, sensei?" Lee Jr asked.

"The **Chunin Exams**." the Sarutobi announced.

The three Genins eyes widened at the mention of the Chunin Exams.

"You think we're ready for that?" Sarada lifted her glasses up as she questioned the jounin instructor.

"It's two months from now." Konohamaru said. "And I believe by that time, you'd all be ready by then."

_Two months._ Bolt thought sadly. _No, I wouldn't be ready_.

"That's all for today, kids. You're all dismissed." the Sarutobi puffed out a smoke after dismissing his team. "Tomorrow will be your day off. So see you in another day."

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Sunagakure — Kazekage's Office)<em>

Political tensions started arising from one of the Hidden Leaf's strongest allies due to the recent disasters caused by the kikaichu.

The Sand Village, as the name so eloquently implies, is a vast land surrounded by scorching deserts and golden dunes across the vast ocean of sand that engulfed the entire area.

The terrain was making it difficult for kikaichu swarms to get to the village.

But the Kazekage wasn't going to take any chances.

After receiving a letter from his good friend and ally, Uzumaki Naruto, Gaara immediately called for a meeting to prepare against an insect invasion that might occur one day. And he was met with opposition from a few officials after declaring his decisions.

"With all due respect Kazekage-sama, to take such extra precautionary measures seem to be unnecessary." one of the Sand officials spoke. "We don't have any agricultural farms that could attract these _swarms_ to invade us."

Gaara listened to the adviser intently, his stoic demeanour remained composed at the strong opposition.

The official continued. "Our village is already protected by an impenetrable colossal edifice, which I have no doubt is capable of withstanding a said insect invasion?"

"That is not the point, Fumio-san." Gaara said to the official. "Our ally Konohagakure, has sent reports regarding this rapidly expanding kikaichu threat that could possibly reach us sooner or later. We must be on-guard."

"But reinforcing our already-massive walls is what I believe to be a waste of precious resources, Gaara-sama." another official objected. "We could instead allot these resources for the further training of our Shinobi Forces."

A heated debate began.

It went on for a few more minutes until the puppet master of Suna interrupted.

"Gentlemen, please." Kankuro, the brother of the Kazekage finally spoke. "Our Kazekage is just looking out for the welfare of our people. After all, the suggestion came from no other than the great Uzumaki Naruto himself, Hokage of Konohagakure."

The opposing Sand officials began whispering amongst themselves at the mention of the legendary Orange Hokage's name.

Most people in Sunagakure perceived that it would be very unlikely for an invasion to take place at any time soon, due to the isolation and the rough terrain of the area surrounding the Sand Village.

"Very well." an official finally spoke after talking with the others. "We will support this plan, Kazekage-sama."

"One of our main suppliers of agricultural resources from Otogakure has recently already fallen. We cannot afford to suffer the same fate." Kankuro added.

"I second the motion." said more officials.

The positive turn of responses earned an obscure smile from the Kazekage, who silently thanked his old friend Naruto for serving as the catalyst for change of the minds of his advisers and officials.

"There is no harm in preparing for the worst." Gaara began. "It is those who deny the foreseeable who will suffer the cost of getting taken by surprise. Meeting adjourned." he dismissed.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Team 7 Training Grounds)<em>

After being dismissed, the Genins left on their separate ways.

Konohamaru noticed the blonde Uzumaki's sudden change of character. He's been not quiet himself since he lost his match against Sarada. Had it affected his pride?

"Bolt." the jounin called. "Come here."

The Uzumaki was about to walk away before the Sarutobi called for him.

"What do you want, sensei?" he asked blandly.

The jounin eyed him carefully, trying to read his expressionless expression which seemed to give out something. Something wrong.

"Is … there something wrong? You can tell me, you know. I'm your sensei." Konohamaru puffed out a smoke from his cigar. He could just sense it.

"N-no. There's nothing wrong." the Uzumaki denied.

"Don't lie to me, Bolt. Tell me what's bothering you."

Bolt lifted his cerulean blue eyes up to look at his sensei who seemed to have read his mind.

"I'm weak." the blonde confessed.

"Wh-what's that?" Konohamaru's eyes widened at his unexpected words.

"I'm too weak for Sarada-chan." Bolt began. "I keep asking her out on a date, hoping that she might have feelings for me in return. But I forgot to look at myself in the mirror and realise that I'm not even worthy of her."

_So, that's what was bothering him._

One doesn't have to understand the meaning of life enough to find someone who matters most to them. And once a man finds someone to love, with that love comes responsibility to protect.

Bolt continued. "I guess what scares me the most is that I won't be able to protect her when the time comes because I'm — I'm just a failure. All I know is how to do Shadow Clones. More Clones. That's just lame-ttebasa."

Konohamaru hadn't realised that he hasn't puffed out smoke for a while, too caught up in listening to his student's words.

"Man up, Bolt."

"Huh?"

"I said man up."

The Sarutobi threw his cigarette away before letting out a deep sigh, releasing a cloud of smoke from his mouth whilst he did so.

"I'll help you, only if you quit sulking about that and man up." Konohamaru said. "Straighten up that abdomen and wipe that depressing look on your face."

"Y-You'll help me?" Bolt's eyes widened at his sensei's words.

"If you want to become stronger in order to protect someone you love, then that's enough reason for me to guide you to the path you wish to take." the jounin gave him a reassuring smile.

Bolt listened carefully.

"My deceased grandfather once said to me," Konohamaru began. "_To those who possess the Will of Fire, everyone is family. The desire to protect loved ones builds thicker and stronger bonds between everyone in the village. If the Will of Fire is embraced by everyone, the village will be alright no matter what happens._"

_/—(Quoted from Naruto Shippuden Episode 281)—\_

The Sarutobi recalled the Third Hokage's words to him when he was still a Genin back then. Old man Hiruzen had been the most influential person in his life and his memories lived forever in his heart.

"So, tell me now, Uzumaki Bolt. What do you want?"

Bolt clenched his fists. With cerulean blue eyes burning bright with courage and unsurmountable determination, he looked at his sensei with confidence once more.

A look blazing with the Will of Fire.

"I want to become stronger." the Uzumaki said.


	12. Chapter 12 : The Legacy Jutsu

**Quote of the Day:**

_"People who continue to put their lives on the line to defend their faith become heroes and continue to live on as legends."_

_— Uzumaki Naruto, Seventh Hokage_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve:<strong>

**The Legacy Jutsu**

_Location: (Team 7 Training Grounds)_

"Water balloons? What are those for, sensei?"

Uzumaki Bolt looked at the bag of water balloons that his sensei was carrying along with him whilst walking towards him glumly.

"For your training, duh." Konohamaru replied in a matter-of-fact voice as he placed the hefty bag on the ground in front of them.

"Looks like child's play to me." Bolt whined.

"Is that so?" the jounin raised an eyebrow. "Well too bad, because I thought that you might want to learn a new jutsu today."

_A new jutsu?!_

Bolt's eyes widened at the revelation. His once downcast demeanour turned into one that can light up the darkest room. The blonde grinned cheerily at his sensei, back to his energetic self once more.

"Of course I do-ttebasa! What jutsu am I learning today, Konohamaru-sensei? I hope it's something badass!" the blonde began jumping with joy, his cerulean eyes eyeing the Sarutobi eagerly.

"Now, now, don't get too excited. Learning this jutsu takes dedication and practice." Konohamaru warned. "It's my day-off today and I'm not supposed to be here training you right now. But since I'm such a _dedicated_ sensei…"

Although it's his day-off today, the jounin had nothing else to do anyways. Konohamaru planned to ask Hanabi Hyuga out on a date once more, but the Hyuga heiress was busy with her clan duties, much to his disappointment.

"TELL ME WHAT IT IS!" Bolt cried out impatiently.

Konohamaru smirked as he recalled the days when he first learned the technique under Naruto's guidance. Those days when he learnt how to stand up for himself and used the Rank-A jutsu to defeat the Naraka Path of Pain in order to save his Ebisu-sensei.

"It's a jutsu that your father taught me a long time ago. His trademark jutsu, you know. And I believe that you're ready for this."

"Y-You mean the…"

Bolt knew what it was and his blue eyes shone in awe after the realisation, his spine tingled with excitement.

"The **Rasengan**." the Sarutobi announced.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (The Uchiha Residence)<em>

Sarada was busy doing the gardening at home, since today was her day-off from her ninja duties. Her mother is currently working at the Konoha Hospital, leaving her alone at home once more to do the chores.

Suddenly, she heard a loud _bang_ in the kitchen inside the house.

_Zuzu._ She sighed, knowing that her cat might've caused an accident again.

The Uchiha stopped watering the plants and headed off to the kitchen to inspect where the noise came from. As she trudged towards the place, she could hear cans and glass bottles rolling on the floor.

And her guess was right.

Her cat Zuzu had tripped the trash bin upside-down. Now trash was all over the kitchen, much to her annoyance.

"Meow?" the chubby, golden-furred cat purred.

Zuzu had fishbone on her mouth as she slowly prowled away from Sarada, knowing that her owner would yell at her for the mess that she caused.

"What have you done, Zuzu?! God, you silly cat. You should've just asked for food rather than snooping around the kitchen." Sarada let out a sigh of exasperation. "Look at this mess!"

The cat eyed her apologetically but continued eating her fishbone anyway. _More mess to clean._ She had just finished mopping the floors this morning and now, she needed to clean the kitchen once again.

But as she was placing the scattered trash back to the bin, Sarada found a crumpled paper which seemed to contain her papa's handwriting on it.

"A letter?" she wondered.

Sarada picked up the crumpled letter and unfolded it. She didn't worry about the sticky mess that coated it though.

_From papa!_ The Uchiha knew.

She read the letter from top to bottom, her expression growing dimmer as she progressed through the paragraphs. And just like her mother, her reaction was to crumple the already-crumpled letter and ditched it in the trash bin.

_So Papa's not coming home next month?_ She thought sadly. Her mother hadn't told her about it.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Team 7 Training Grounds)<em>

Konohamaru Sarutobi started explaining the mechanics of the intricate processes involved behind the creation of the Rasengan, beginning with the basics first.

He tried his best to explain it the simplest way that he could using the most straightforward vocabulary that he could come up with, knowing that Bolt wasn't good in verbal theories as much as his father was.

"Get it, Bolt?" the jounin asked.

"I heard ya', sensei." the blonde confirmed.

"The first step is for you to burst the water balloon. All you need to do is spin the water inside the balloon, using only your chakra to stir it in multiple directions ALL AT ONCE." Konohamaru explained.

Bolt attentively nodded in response.

"This is to emphasise **chakra rotation**. Here, let me do a demonstration. Watch me carefully."

The Sarutobi grabbed a water balloon from the bag and held it on the palm of his hand, stretching his arm out for his student to see. Bolt observed the balloon on his sensei's palm, not even blinking once.

"Whoa." Bolt Uzumaki's jaw dropped at the sight.

_Whish-woosh-whish-woosh._ The water inside the water balloon began moving fast as it made the whooshing noises repeatedly. Bulges from each corner of the sphere started protruding from it, as if there were tiny animals trapped inside the balloon that were trying to get out.

Then.

_POP!_

After a few seconds or so, it bursted from Konohamaru's palm with a popping sound.

"Did you observe it carefully, Bolt?" the jounin turned to his student.

"THAT WAS SO COOL, KONOHAMARU-SENSEI!" Bolt praised. "But why didn't you use a clone to help you burst it? I thought that the Rasengan is supposed to be done with a pair."

He had seen his father do it once a long time ago when Naruto was training at home in his spare time. But he saw his father do it with Shadow Clones.

"For the preliminary exercises, you are _not_ going to use clones yet. You need to learn how to control the chakra rotation all by yourself. That is to improve your chakra control as well." Konohamaru justified. "We all start from the basics, okay?"

"Oh, alright." the blonde scampered off to grab a water balloon for himself. "I'LL NOW TRY IT-TTEBASA!"

_That's the spirit_. The jounin took in a deep breath as he searched for cigarette from his pockets. Then he cursed himself after a few seconds of pocket-searching.

No cigarettes. _Shit._

"Where are you going, Konohamaru-sensei?" Bolt asked when he saw his sensei leaving.

"Gonna go buy something in town. I'll be back soon." Konohamaru waved his student goodbye before he continued trudging towards the exit of the Training Grounds. "Be sure to pop one once I get back."

Bolt nodded in affirmation, even though his sensei didn't see him. The blonde Uzumaki eagerly turned to the object on the palm of his hand and began spinning his chakra.

_I can do this-ttebasa!_ He thought positively.

_… 9 hours later_

It was already late in the afternoon and the sun was setting.

The sun began to drown in the horizon, it's rays of light glimmering in the darkness of the clouds, already starting to fade to make way for the coming night.

"WHY WON'T YOU BLOW UP-TTEBASA?!"

Bolt threw the water balloon away in absolute frustration, his lips twisting into a scowl.

A floppy sphere rolled on the ground until it touched Konohamaru's shoe.

Nine hours.

It _only _took nine hours before the Sarutobi came back. But the jounin did it on purpose, knowing how hard it will be to master the first step. After buying cigarettes from the shops, Konohamaru had a beer with his old friends and roamed around the village before coming back to see Bolt's progress.

"Haven't popped out one yet?" Konohamaru asked, picking up the water balloon on the ground.

"So, are you going explain how it takes a whole afternoon to buy a pack of cigars, you good-for-nothing bastard?"

Bolt glowered at his sensei and glared at him viciously with his cerulean blue eyes that screamed of exasperation.

"There were a few minor distractions along the way." Konohamaru lied. "But what's wrong? Couldn't figure it out yourself?"

"YOU SAID YOU'D HELP ME! BUT YOU WERE GONE WHEN I NEEDED YOU!" Bolt yelled at his sensei. "You're just like my dad. Full of stupid promises."

Unexpectedly, Konohamaru threw the water balloon towards the blonde Uzumaki's , who caught it quickly with his swift reflexes before it fell to the ground.

Then, the Sarutobi's expression darkened.

"I told you: MAN. UP." the jounin said firmly. "If you keep on acting like a spoiled brat who gets spoon fed everyday, then you better cry to your mom because I ain't training some cry babies, YOU HEAR ME?!"

Bolt frowned in silence and looked away from his sensei. Clutching the balloon tightly in his hand.

Konohamaru continued.

"You said you want to become stronger. Stronger to protect the ones you love. Well, don't expect me to be your cheerleader all the way. _My job_, is to explain how to do it. _Your job_, is to do it. No one can do it for you but yourself. Is that too much?!"

The Uzumaki stared at the water balloon on his hand lugubriously.

He felt disgraceful.

Coming from a bloodline of Hokages, he felt a flush of shame creeping through his guts for being unable to master the basic step of a jutsu that his grandfather had started and his father had improved himself.

"Bolt, look at me."

But the blonde kept his head down.

"Look at me, damnit." Konohamaru approached his student and placed a pat on his shoulder.

Slowly, Bolt met his sensei's gaze and to his surprise, the Sarutobi was smiling. The kind of genuine smile that serves to encourage and foster his growth, giving him a sense of hope that he will make it through.

"I didn't learn it on my first day, too."

The blonde looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

"So take those water balloons home with you and practice. Alright?" Konohamaru flashed him a warm smile. "Then come and see me once you pop out one."

Bolt nodded in response. Then he remembered his ninja way. His family's shared belief.

"To never give up. That is my ninja way-ttebasa!" his lips twisted into a hopeful grin.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (The Uzumaki Residence)<em>

Dinnertime.

Hinata being a splendid cook of a wife she is, prepared her family's favourite dish of all time: Ramen. That's because her husband had informed her that he'd be coming home for tonight.

"I'm home-ttebayo!" Naruto announced after entering the kitchen.

"DADDY!" the little Hinata rushed to greet her father.

The Orange Hokage finally arrived and was welcomed with a wide, warm hug by his daughter Himawari.

"Welcome home, Naruto-kun." Hinata greeted her husband as she prepared the dinner table by setting up the plates and ramen bowls.

She walked up to him to give him a quick kiss on his forehead.

"Where's Bolt?" Naruto wondered, letting go of Himawari's hug.

"Nii-san was busy training in the garden a while ago, daddy." Himawari replied.

But as they spoke, the young blonde Uzumaki came to the kitchen on time, wearing an exhausted look on his face.

"I'm here-ttebasa." Bolt answered drably as he made his way to the kitchen. He looked dull and spoke dully.

The Uzumaki family sat around the dinner table, ready to eat supper after Hinata finished preparing everything else. Ramen, fried rice and cinnamon rolls were on the menu for tonight. Mouthwatering and freshly made.

But despite the lovely scent of ramen that filled the Uzumaki residence, the little blonde wasn't in the mood to eat.

And Naruto didn't fail to notice.

"How's your day, son?" the Hokage asked.

"Same." Bolt replied quickly, stirring his ramen bowl like it was a cup of coffee.

He looked really worn-out. Tired.

Hinata observed her son's manner and flashed him her _motherly-Byakugan-glare_. It wasn't how she had raised him and it was quiet unusual for Bolt to be moody, especially if there is ramen in front of him.

"That's not the way to respond to your father, Bolt." she reprimanded him. "Answer him properly and don't play with your food. Understood?"

"Yeah, mom. Sorry." the little blonde apologised.

"Ya' know," Naruto began. "The **Chunin Exams** are two months from now. Did your Konohamaru-sensei tell you about it? Are you participating in it-ttebayo?"

"U-huh." Bolt answered after taking in a mouthful of ramen.

The Orange Hokage noticed his son's sour attitude towards him since the very beginning and began to wonder why. For sure it could be because he wasn't at home all the time, but he had that feeling that Bolt's problem seems to concern something else.

"Great! So, would you like me to help you with training then? I can prepare you for the Chunin Exams, ya' know. I can teach you another jutsu." Naruto tried to cheer his son up.

"No need to make_ promises_ to me-ttebasa. You've got more important things to deal with such as being Hokage and all that." his cerulean eyes lifted towards his father with a glint of disappointment. "Besides, I've got _Konohamaru-sensei_ to train me instead."

Hinata and Naruto's attention turned towards Bolt, who dropped his chopsticks after he finished his sentence. The couple was shocked of their son's sudden outburst.

"Bolt, I —"

"Thanks for the dinner, mom. It was delicious." Bolt stood up before his father got to finish saying something.

"Nii-san, where are you going?" Himawari asked her brother, confused of why he left the dinner table earlier than usual.

But Bolt Uzumaki left and headed outside. It's not the hormones that got to him.

Just that angsty feeling.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Naruto and Hinata's bedroom)<em>

After washing the dishes, Hinata proceeded upstairs to tell Himawari a bedtime story before heading to their bedroom to join her husband.

She entered but found Naruto as usual, sitting in front of his desk wearing that serious expression on his face as he reviewed the documents on his messy table.

Hokage duties… again.

"Naruto-kun." Hinata approached him and placed her arms all over his shoulders before giving him a kiss on his cheek. "Come to bed with me."

Hinata felt him trail light kisses on her fingers that were around his shoulders. In return, she began biting and licking his earlobe to tickle him, earning her a chortle from her husband.

"What's with our son a while ago? He was quiet morose and distracted." Naruto sighed after dropping his paperwork on the desk before him.

"Don't worry." his wife assured him. "You know, Bolt misses you a lot and he probably didn't know how to express those feelings that built-up overtime." Hinata explained gently.

"Must be part of growing up?" the Hokage chuckled. "I didn't remember getting so angsty when I was his age. Teenagers these days."

"Bolt's a good kid. He's pretty much just like you whether you know it or not." Hinata tightened her arms around his neck, pressing her face closer to his cheek.

She liked being sweet to him despite the number of years that they've been together already. True love doesn't fade no matter how familiar you get with one another.

"I gotta go see him-ttebayo." Naruto caressed his wife's cheeks before standing up.

"Don't take too long, alright? I'll be waiting." she whispered to him gently.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Uzumaki Residence Garden)<em>

_C'mon, c'mon, c'mon…_ Bolt lifted his own spirits by chanting positive words to encourage himself whilst he continued his training.

Bolt Uzumaki held out a water balloon on a palm of his hand.

The serene, luminous full moon gleamed along with white twinkling stars blanketing the clear, dark skies in harmony. Giving the blonde enough light to continue his training as he stood in the middle of the grassy plains of his family's garden.

_Whish-woosh._

Small progress.

But the little Uzumaki managed to rotate his chakra around inside the floppy sphere of water, making small lumps appear at the sides a few times.

_Do it for Sarada-chan_. Bolt thought. The image of the Uchiha materialised in his mind, giving him a sense of inspiration to never give up.

"Ah, you're practicing the Rasengan-ttebayo?" Naruto suddenly appeared from behind him.

Bolt quickly stopped and turned immediately towards his father, surprised of his sudden entrance. He realised that his mind was too focussed in bursting the water balloon that he didn't sense the Hokage's presence.

"Y-Yeah-ttebasa." he replied.

"Mind explaining to me what you're doing?"

Naruto walked closer behind Bolt and craned his neck down to be on the same height as his son. He gave the balloon on Bolt's palm a gentle poke.

"I'm trying to rotate my chakra and burst the balloon." Bolt said. "You know what the steps are already, dad. You don't have to ask me, ya' know."

"Just making sure that you know what you're doing."

The little Uzumaki sighed and concentrated once more on bursting the bag of water on his palm.

It flopped and made the whooshing noises as usual.

"Hey-ttebayo. Do you want to know why you're having a hard time?" Naruto observed something wrong.

Bolt stopped again and turned to his father.

"What do you mean, dad?"

"But ya' know, you told me a while ago that you don't need my help with training." the Hokage grinned. "Maybe I shouldn't be bothering you then."

Bolt's cerulean eyes met his father's apologetically. He recalled how he had talked back to him a while ago. The day had been exhausting and frustrating, but he knew that he shouldn't let these emotions be on the way.

"I'm sorry for talking back a while ago." he apologised. "I'm just… tired. That's all. I didn't mean to be rude at the dinner table."

"Apology accepted." Naruto gave his son a fatherly pat on the forehead.

"So, what am I doing wrong?"

His father made his way in front of him and grabbed his head. Naruto scanned his forehead as if he was searching for something on Bolt's scalp.

"Which direction were you spinning your chakra?"

"Clockwise." the little blonde replied.

"Then that's where you're wrong."

Naruto realised that Bolt's chakra pathway seem to be progressing from right-to-left. He could feel his son's chakra flowing as he held his head and he also saw the pattern on his scalp, the hurricane-like mark was indicating a counter-clockwise direction.

"You have to rotate your chakra **counter-clockwise**." the Hokage explained. "That's because if you do it clockwise, you are going against your chakra pathway. Didn't Konohamaru tell you about this?"

"No."

"I guess I forgot to tell him about it when I taught him the Rasengan a long time ago." Naruto said, recalling the days when he was teaching Konohamaru the jutsu. "Now you give it a try. Do it the opposite way this time."

"Gotcha-ttebasa!" Bolt beamed cheerfully.

_An advice coming from the expert is the best_. The young Uzumaki thought.

After all, his father was the first person who was able to master the Rasengan, even though his grandfather created it in the first place.

Suddenly, Bolt grinned uncontrollably.

He couldn't help but smile at the realisation that his own father was actually training him right now. Feeling uplifted and determined, Bolt grabbed hold of the water balloon on the palm of his hand.

"And one more thing, son." Naruto interrupted as he grabbed Bolt's other free hand. "Use your other hand to form a chakra shell around the balloon. In that way, you can just use the hand with the balloon for chakra supply."

Applying what his Hokage father had advised him, Bolt mentally prepared his mind to concentrate on the current task at hand.

_Right hand for chakra supply. Left hand for forming a shell._ He repeated his father's words like a mantra in his head as he focused.

Bolt's eyes couldn't believe it.

It's working! His father's advice proved to be very effective. He could finally feel the water inside the balloon rotating rapidly in a counter-clockwise direction, forming bulges and bumps all over the sphere.

_Whish-woosh-whish-woosh._

_Whish-woosh-whish-woosh._

_Whish-woosh-whish-woosh._

Using his right hand to supply chakra, he moulded the chakra into a sphere with the left hand rapidly.

Until finally…

_POP!_

The water balloon bursted, splashing water all over the grassy ground beneath them.

"I DID IT! I— I DID IT-TTEBASA!"

Bolt screeched with joy.

He couldn't help but leap towards Naruto's arms, hugging his father tightly to celebrate his success. The Hokage responded with a tight embrace as he carried his son, feeling proud of his achievement.

"Thanks, dad. You're the best." Bolt said as he embraced his father.

"You did great-ttebayo." Naruto replied. "It took me three days to get through the first step ya' know. But look at you! It only took you **one day** to master step one."

"I love you." he said to his father, tightening his hug.

"Love you too, son. And I'm sure that you'll become a great Chunin any time soon."

After placing his son back on the ground, he gave him another fatherly pat on the head before letting out a loud yawn.

"You better go to bed now, Bolt. Daddy's tired and mommy's waiting for him. Okay?" Naruto said after another yawn.

"But — But I want to train more, dad!" the little blonde pleaded. "Please. Can I just train some more?"

The Hokage stretched his aching muscles. Today has been very busy at his office. There were lots of documents that needed reviewing, meetings with the shinobi teams involved in tracking down the refugee ramen thieves and the kikaichu swarms too.

"Alright. But don't stay up too late-ttebayo." Naruto said before making his way inside the house.

With a wide happy grin on his face, Bolt Uzumaki made his _nice-guy-pose_ towards his father before he left. He felt proud that he made it through the first step in learning his family's jutsu.

Rasengan: The Legacy Jutsu.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Konoha Streets)<em>

The next morning...

Sarada was on her way to her team's meeting place as usual. The Uchiha took her time and walked on a normal pace, not rushing or anything.

As she turned on one corner, she spotted her blonde teammate who was also on his way to the same destination.

But.

To Sarada's surprise, Bolt didn't bother to walk with her. The Uzumaki would've been very loud and annoying by now, but today he seemed to be quiet different. He wasn't trying to catch her attention or ask her out on a date like the usual.

Instead, Bolt turned his eyes away from her once they saw each other and pretended to ignore her.

Bolt walked faster as if he was avoiding her.

_SHANAROOO! What's his problem?!_ inner-Sarada appeared. _Is this still because of the match?_

The Uchiha tried not to think too hard over it. If he was going to avoid her, then so be it. But it just felt wrong for some reasons. As if something was missing in her life.

_No, h_e can't possibly ignore me!__ Sarada thought. _He's avoiding me, SHANAROOO! __Boys are so stupid._

And she had to find out why.


	13. Chapter 13 : An Arrow To My Heart

**Quote of the Day:**

_"The best way to escape reality without running, is smiling even though it's obviously fake."_

_— Sai_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13:<strong>

**An Arrow To My Heart**

_Location: (Downtown Konoha)_

Turning to one side of the road, he caught a glimpse of the person whom he didn't wish to interact with of all the people in his life as of now.

Sarada Uchiha.

And Bolt Uzumaki felt unworthy.

Unworthy of her attention. Unworthy of her affections. Unworthy of asking her out on a date. Unworthy of the girl of his dreams. Unworthy of talking to her. Unworthy of Sarada Uchiha.

Hell, he could barely even land a hit on her during their sparring session, let alone protect her in times of danger as how a man should if he loves someone so dearly.

Their eyes met for a brief moment, but the Uzumaki turned away after the short encounter.

His morning didn't start out that great anyways.

**— Flashback Start —**

The blonde Uzumaki woke up with an aching body.

Last night, he promised to his father that he wouldn't stay up late for training. But then he lied. Bolt stayed up late until he finished popping all three dozen water balloons that Konohamaru had given him for practice. Gaining mastery of the first step in learning the Rasengan.

But despite his achievement, he knew what was coming after the strenuous training. As a result, he had to face the consequences once he woke up.

His muscles sore.

His stomach ached.

His head hurt.

He was sleep-deprived.

And most of all, his hands were trembling.

"Wh-what's happening-ttebasa?!" Bolt began to panic. His hands won't stop quivering, like it was cursed to become an never-ending vibrating machine.

Due to over-fatigue, his bruised hands were overused as a result the Rasengan practice and began to show symptoms of uncontrollable spasms. So from then on, Uzumaki Bolt decided to slide his hands inside his pockets and avoid showing it to the world until the shakings subside.

This sucks.

And so he started the day with a frown on his face.

**— Flashback End —**

Bolt walked ahead on a faster pace, his head dropping low as he trudged along the streets of the village on his way towards their Training Grounds.

_How should I explain this to sensei?_ Now that he began to think of it. His Konohamaru-sensei would probably resume his training, but how could he do it in his current condition?

His hands were disabled as of now, rendering him useless.

The blonde sighed. But then he took a quick glance towards his side. And at the corner of his eye, he swore that he just saw the Uchiha eyeing him curiously as he trudged in front of her.

So once again, he sped up to avoid contact.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Team 7 Training Grounds)<em>

Everything else was normal to Sarada Uchiha.

Everything except for the fact that there was no annoying blonde kid who'd insist on making him his girlfriend and asking her out on a date at any chance he'd get.

_Had he grown tired of asking me out?_ She thought. That was probably it. Bolt must've given up on pursuing for her affections.

Moments later, their team captain arrived on time while Lee Jr appeared a bit later than usual, saying that he still had to do his youthful morning rituals with his father.

"Team, I've got a good news and a bad news." Konohamaru began. "Anyone in favour of hearing the bad news first, raise your hand."

All three Genins raised their hands.

"That's great. Let's get the bad news out of the way first before we get to the good one." the jounin flicked a lighter to light up his cigarette and began smoking.

Eager to hear the news, the team turned their full attention towards their sensei.

"Bad news is : There are no missions for you to do as of now. Most available missions are Rank-A and the Hokage definitely wouldn't assign us for those missions." Konohamaru announced.

"What's the good news, sensei?" Lee Jr asked.

"Good news is : It's another day-off for all of us!"

"ALRIGHT-TTEBASA!" Bolt cried out in happiness.

Sarada couldn't help but look at the blonde in surprise. It's the first time since this morning that she heard him utter a word. A while ago, he was as quiet as a dead mouse and definitely avoiding her for some reasons.

But something caught her attention.

_Why is he hiding his hands?_ The Uchiha wondered.

"You're all free to do what you want for the rest of the day." the jounin said. "But I expect you to report to me tomorrow in preparation for your upcoming **Chunin Exams**, alright kids?"

Then, they were dismissed once more.

She turned around to take a quick glance towards Bolt once more. But to her surprise, the blonde stayed behind to talk to their sensei instead of leaving.

Curious in nature as Sarada is, she hid herself on one of the bushes just near one corner of the training grounds to see what the Uzumaki and her sensei were going to do.

By the looks of it, they seemed to be talking about serious stuff and the Uchiha wished that she could hear what they were saying.

Afterwards, Bolt left the training grounds.

And the curious Sarada followed him.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (Downtown Konoha)<em>

With injured and trembling hands, the fatigued Uzumaki Bolt decided to just prepare the materials needed for his next lesson with his Konohamaru-sensei.

"Let's see. Where do I buy rubber balls?" he stopped for a moment and sighed.

Bolt looked around all over Konoha.

_Seriously, how hard could this be?_

But strangely enough, he was starting to get a feel that he was being followed. It was just a creeping feeling. His intuition was telling him.

_Someone's following me._ He thought.

And he's got a plan to uncover the truth.

* * *

><p>Uchiha Sarada continued going after the blonde, silently darting from wall to wall for cover as she stalked him from behind.<p>

_Where is he going this time?_ She wondered.

Stealthily, she dashed towards one of the posts near the walking Uzumaki to get closer to him.

But.

Bolt suddenly vanished among the crowds of people.

He disappeared from her sight.

"Silly Sarada." the Uchiha sighed. "Why the hell are you stalking that idiot?" she said to herself.

The blonde had been avoiding her since this morning and for some reasons that she couldn't elaborate, something inside her just wanted to confront him of his sudden change of attitude towards her.

As Sarada was about to give up in finding her blonde teammate, a hand suddenly tapped her shoulder.

"EEEEEK!" she squealed.

She turned around at once to find Bolt, standing right in front of her. His cast down, cerulean-blue eyes gazed at her onyx-dark ones, with an unreadable expression.

"S-Sarada-chan?" Bolt stammered.

_Oh god. He found me._ Sarada suddenly panicked.

He stood in front of her awkwardly with both of his hands, still inside his pockets.

"Idiot! Why'd you scare me like that?!" she retorted.

"I'm sorry… I thought… wait… never mind." Bolt sounded like he was having some sort of speech impairment. _She can't possibly be here because of me._

An awkward silence followed. Neither were talking.

With a deep sigh, the blonde Uzumaki gave her a courteous bow on the head before turning away to leave her.

"Wait." she stopped him before he could leave.

"Huh?" Bolt asked without batting an eye on her.

"Why were you avoiding me?"

The blonde's eyes widened at her sudden confrontation. Had he been that obvious? Bolt's heart began to pound faster at her question. He himself didn't want to tell her the answer to that question, for fear that she might think of him as a weak coward.

Bolt turned around to face her once more.

"N-No, I'm not avoiding you-ttebasa. What are you saying, Sarada-chan?" the blonde flashed her a fake smile.

"Liar. You've been acting like it since this morning. I'm not an imbecile, Bolt. Boys like you are so stupid."

"I — I was just thinking of s-something else, ya' know. My mind was busy wandering off—."

"Excuses." she silenced him.

Bolt shifted his gaze away from her, unable to look at her straight in the eye, her eyes that saw through his every deception.

"I hate people who lie to themselves." Sarada said.

He was too stunned to say something. Sarada saw through his feigned expression. His sincerely fake smile to conceal his scared, vulnerable and feeble self.

"Oh, uh —," Bolt cleared his throat. "Hey, look at the time! It's already noon. Gotta' go and train some more! You should be training too, Sarada-chan. Bye!"

An excuse, that's all the Uzumaki could think of to escape the situation. He wasn't ready to face her yet. It just made him feel bad to strike a conversation with her, or even see her face since he still felt weak and unable to protect her.

But before he got to leave again, the Uchiha grabbed his arm on time.

"You're not leaving until you tell me the _truth_."

Sarada stared at him ferociously with her glaring onyx eyes. As if she'd want to rip him off to search for answers.

"What truth?" he asked, pretending not to know.

"The reason why you're avoiding me and … why are you always hiding your hands in your pockets?" the Uchiha noticed.

_Oh no. Not the hands._ He thought.

To show his injuries would be complete humiliation and a dagger on the throat of his pride. What would she think of him? His hands were still bruised and trembling all over due to the exhaustion from popping the water balloons last night as part of his training.

But then, Sarada Uchiha demanded strictly.

"Show me your hands."

"My hands? Th-There's nothing wrong with my hands. They're p-perfectly fine, ya' know."

"Your hands. SHOW ME." she dared him.

"This is crazy, Sarada-chan. I've got better things to do than this. I gotta go training and — and —"

Using her brute strength, the Uchiha forcefully seized Bolt's hands out of his pockets and grasped the hands tightly. The Uzumaki's face twisted into a grimace of pure painful affliction and agony at the sudden grasp.

"OW-TTEBASA!" Bolt winced in absolute grudging pain as Sarada clenched his hands firmly in a tight grip.

After finally grabbing hold of his hands, Sarada examined them carefully and what she witnessed shocked her the most.

_Bruised, red and trembling._

Three powerful words that could perfectly describe the blonde's throbbing hands. Never in her life had she seen someone's hands brutally injured, except for when she went to her mother's clinic once and Sakura was conducting a surgery on this man who had a kunai pierced through his hand.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED TO THIS?!" Sarada looked at her blonde teammate in the eye, full of concern and worry as she held his hands on her own.

"That's painful, ya' know!" Bolt whined. "I was training all right? I injured my hands! Please don't squeeze them so hard."

"TRAINING?! You call inflicting harm on yourself _training_?!" the Uchiha yelled at her teammate.

After more thorough examination of his hands, Sarada began to soften her grasp and held him more gently. Letting go of his hands carefully, she instead dragged his arm and led him off to someplace else.

"Where are we going-ttebasa?" the blonde asked whilst she hauled him along with her.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (The Uchiha Clan Memorial Lake)<em>

When Naruto became Hokage, one of the few places that he had preserved in Konoha included the Uchiha Clan's territory — the place where the clan massacre occurred, especially the lake where the Uchihas used to train with their Fire Jutsu.

The lake where Sasuke trained to use his Great Fire Ball Technique with his father, in honour of the fallen clan's memory.

Sarada Uchiha brought the blonde Uzumaki along with her towards the wooden bridge, extending just a few metres across the lake.

"What place is this?" Bolt wondered.

"My ancestor's." she replied.

She ordered Bolt to sit down with her and started healing his hands with her **Medical Jutsu**.

The Uchiha gathered her healing chakra and shaped it into a white orb, then began moving it over Bolt's injured hands.

A jutsu that her mother once used a long time ago.

"You mean the Uchiha Clan's?" he asked.

"This place is where my papa taught me how to do the fireball jutsu. And yes, this was where my clan once lived long ago."

"Oh." was all the blonde could mutter.

Bolt watched her apply the medic jutsu and observed her face. Her milky, flawless face that perfectly adorned her onyx-dark eyes and jet-black hair.

"Sorry." she said.

For the first time, the Uzumaki heard Sarada apologise.

"Wait, what are you _sorry_ for?"

"I don't know." she shrugged. "You were avoiding me. So maybe I did something wrong?"

"No! No you didn't do anything wrong!" Bolt said. "I told you, I just have lots of things in my head. I wasn't avoiding you at all. I was — OUCH!"

Sarada pressed her medical jutsu unto his hand, causing him to wince in pain.

"Just shut up. There's nothing in that head of yours." she glared at him. Then continued healing his injuries. "After this, you must _cannot_ use your hands until tomorrow. Otherwise, it'll just swell a lot again."

"G-Got it." Bolt nodded quickly.

* * *

><p><em>Minutes later…<em>

The Uchiha and the Uzumaki sat side-by-side, observing the stagnant lake under the heat of the bright summer sun beating them down. The blonde felt awkward to be sitting next to the Uchiha after he resolved to stay away from her until he gets stronger, but I guess some things just can't be avoided.

"So," Bolt muttered after seconds of silence and turned to Sarada. "What do wanna do today?"

"Do what?"

"Ya' know. Let's hang out and have fun!"

Sarada finally shifted her gaze towards him.

To her, Bolt Uzumaki was a mysterious book written in some form of language that she couldn't understand. The blonde seemed impossible to read — at first he'd be dying to make her his girlfriend, the next he'd be avoiding her and now, he's starting to get nice and energetic all of a sudden.

"We don't have time for that, idiot. I'd rather study at the library to prepare for the Chunin Exams than hang out with you." Sarada lifted her glasses up and began to stand up.

"But that's_ two months_ away, Sarada-chan. Besides, I bet you already know every single thing written in those textbooks." he whined.

"So what? Are you just going to study at the last minute and procrastinate? Well, I'm sorry but that's not how I do things."

"You're boring." Bolt quickly added.

Caught in surprise by the insult, the Uchiha was fired up once more to make a good come-back.

"Well, y-you're annoying!" she retorted.

"Oh yeah?" the blonde stood up and faced her, ready to engage in a battle of insults once more.

"Stupid." Sarada began.

"Feminist." Bolt retorted.

"Dense idiot."

"Salad."

"Whisker-face."

"Four-eyes."

"Cry baby."

"Mommy's girl."

"Egghead."

"Nerd."

"Pouty-face."

"Stalker."

_SHANAROOO! _Irritated by the blonde's constant jibes, the Uchiha proceeded to get her bow and arrow from the backpack that she carried along with her and aimed it towards Bolt.

"W-wait! DON'T SHOOT ME-TTEBASA! I didn't mean what I said. I was just kidding! I'm sorry!" he pleaded and bowed down in front of her.

But.

Unexpectedly, Sarada shot the arrow at one of the target practice posts near the Uchiha Clan's training grounds and archery training areas, hitting the white line close the red circle at the middle of the round shooting practice.

"Forget it." she grunted as she headed towards the archery practice grounds.

The Uchiha walked further up ahead as Bolt watched her every step and followed her. She began to aim her bow at the red bull's-eye mark, pulling the string back after taking an arrow from her quiver like a professional archer.

"You're lucky that you're injured." Sarada muttered whilst fixing her eyes on the target. "Otherwise, I would've forced you to make your **Shadow Clones** for my target practice."

"Why me?" Bolt asked, standing behind her.

"Because you're stupid."

Her eyebrows scrunched down as she mentally focused her aim on the red dot. Her lips pierced together in a straight line, exuding determination and confidence — things that the blonde found to be attractive.

In the blink of an eye, her arrow shot out and flew towards the target.

_A perfect bull's eye._

"Wow. You're amazing, Sarada-chan." his jaw-dropped at her accuracy. "Who taught you this?"

"My papa. We used to come down here and practice a lot a long time ago." Sarada withdrew another arrow from her quiver and aimed the bow once more.

_Zoom!_ The arrow fired.

Another bull's-eye.

Bolt watched her every move and began to fantasise what it would be like for her to be in his arms. The way she fired that arrow. A graceful beauty, something so delicate yet so strong.

His face formed a smile as he stared at the Uchiha in admiration. _But I don't deserve her. Not yet._

* * *

><p>Sarada was too engaged in practicing with her bow and arrow, but she could help but notice that her blonde teammate had been silent for quiet some time now.<p>

She turned around and her eyes widened at the sight before her.

"B-Bolt! WHAT THE HELL?! Put your clothes back on!"

Bolt Uzumaki took his shirt and pants off, leaving only his boxers and showing-off his naked tan upper body. He wasn't that muscular yet, considering that he's still on his way to puberty, but his body was definitely fit and robust.

Right away, he scampered off quickly towards the Uchiha Memorial Lake and dived towards the huge body of water.

_SPLASH!_

"Come and join me, Sarada-chan!" he waved towards her as he swam across the lake.

"Idiot!" the Uchiha rushed towards the bridge close to the lake. "YOU CAN'T SWIM HERE! This lake is sacred! My ancestors trained in this lake!"

"What did you say?"

"I said you can't swim here!" she yelled.

Her blonde teammate paddled towards her, swimming. His head stayed above the water as his arms quickly swept and feet kicking to stay afloat. Sarada tried her best to conceal a smile that was beginning to form on her face. Bolt looked like a cute puppy learning how to swim.

"I didn't know that. Sorry." Bolt said once he swam closer to the bridge where Sarada was standing.

"Now you do. So get out of the water."

"Will you help me up, Sarada-chan?"

The blonde Uzumaki extended an arm, a request for Sarada to hoist him up so that he can climb up the bridge. She was hesitant at first, but Bolt's cerulean blue eyes that matched the colour of the bluest skies softened her heart and she couldn't resist.

Sarada reached out for Bolt's hand to drag him out of the water.

But suddenly.

"AAAAAH!" she shrieked.

With a mischievous grin on his face, Bolt Uzumaki pulled her down the water instead. The Uchiha was now soaked wet as she struggled to swim after the blonde had dragged her down.

"HAH! I tricked you-ttebasa!" Bolt began laughing.

_SPLASH!_ He splashed water unto her face.

"Wh-what have you done?" Sarada realised that she was now swimming in her ancestor's sacred lake.

"Catch me if you can!" he challenged her.

"Why you …"

Thus, a chase in the lake began. Bolt was an agile swimmer. He might not be that good in academics but swimming was one of the things that he definitely had an advantage over the prodigious Uchiha.

"Come back here!" Sarada swam as fast as she could, paddling her legs quickly.

Bolt and Sarada swam around the lake for a couple of minutes, with the Uchiha trying her best to catch her blonde teammate who was conspicuously a better swimmer than her.

To give her a chance, the Uzumaki slowed down and allowed his teammate to catch up to him. And to his surprise, Sarada was laughing whilst she made her way towards him.

"Stupid!" Sarada called for him.

Her lips twisted into a genuine smile towards the Uzumaki with a chortle. Her onyx-dark eyes sparked at the blonde with a glimpse of happiness, a rare jewel in his eyes.

"You're so mean to me!" Sarada kept splashing water towards Bolt, grinning.

"Here comes … the **TICKLE SHARK **!" Bolt lunged forth the Uchiha and started tickling her while keeping afloat in water. "RAAWR!"

"EEEK! Bolt stop it!" she moaned and giggled, trying to shove away the blonde's hands that were prodding her.

But truth is, she didn't want him to stop. She hasn't had this much fun since her papa started leaving for his solitary journey a long time ago. Something that she didn't want to end. Ever.

* * *

><p>After a while, the two Genins retreated back to the surface and found shade under the tall oak trees surrounding the nearby Uchiha complex.<p>

"Ugh, my clothes are wet. No thanks to you." Sarada complained as they sat underneath the shade.

"But you had fun, didn't ya'? That's what matters."

Panting, Bolt lied down on the grassy ground. He shifted his gaze towards the Uchiha, who proceeded to grab his dry clothes near the bridge before standing right in front of him.

"I'll be borrowing these for now." Sarada said, referring to his clothes. "It's your payback for dragging me to the water."

Bolt shot her a cute wink, making the Uchiha blush.

"W-what are you waiting for?" she asked. Her face getting redder as she watched the half-naked Uzumaki lying down in front of her, chilling.

"What do you mean?"

"TURN AROUND! You can't watch at me while I'm changing my clothes, you pervert!"

And so the blonde did as told.

He turned around whilst his Uchiha teammate got changed behind him. The temptation to turn around was there. What kind of teenage boy wouldn't want to see his crush get naked?

"Don't look. Or I'll kill you." Sarada warned him.

Bolt could hear her take her clothes off before she wore his clothes. The sound of the garments falling on the ground was the only noise amidst the peaceful surroundings of the Uchiha Memorial Lake.

"Done?" he asked.

"No."

_a minute later …_

"Okay. You may turn around now." she said.

Slowly, Bolt spun himself around to face the Uchiha.

And he laughed.

"S-Sarada-chan, you look like… HAHAHA!" Bolt couldn't suppress an uncontrollable laughter.

"What?!"

"You look like a boy." Bolt snickered.

_SHANAROOO!_ She smacked him on the head to shut him up.

Wearing Bolt's clothes made her look like the little Sasuke, female version. Her jet-black hair felt heavy due to being soaked with water, making her look like Sasuke when his hair is wet.

She shook her head to shake off the droplets of water on hair before sitting beside the Uzumaki.

* * *

><p>Sarada hanged her clothes on top of the tree branch nearby to let them dry whilst she wore Bolt's clothes.<p>

Their whole afternoon was spent under the shade of the tall oak tree, chatting and talking about all sorts of random stuff.

"And then _BAM!_ I almost threw a punch on my dad but then my mom came to stop me," the blonde said. Recalling what he did before when he attacked Naruto with his Shadow Clones. _(referring to Chapter 2)_

"What did your mom do?" the curious Uchiha asked.

"She quickly paralysed me with her taijutsu. I was on the verge of hitting a Hokage but darn it-ttebasa!"

Sarada chuckled. "Your mom did the right thing."

"Hey, that's mean. Who's side are you on?" Bolt nudged her with a smirk on his face.

"Not yours." she pushed his elbow gently.

And they both burst out laughing.

"According to my papa's books, we just disrespected my ancestors, you know. We weren't supposed to swim at the lake." Sarada said. "In the books, it says that —"

"Books? I don't care what the books say. They're just a bunch of written words. Besides, we had the best time of our lives."

"You can't possibly say that against books! Books can be your lifetime friends. They won't betray you, or even annoy you. They'll stay with you and never leave. Unlike _someone_ out there."

_Someone? _The blonde Uzumaki began to realise that she was referring to someone else.

"It's … your dad isn't it?" Bolt asked. He tilted his head on one side, looking at the Uchiha in concern.

"Whenever I'm lonely, my books always kept me company. I read lots of adventures about shinobi travelling all sorts of places and helping people in need. That's when I picture my papa as the hero in my book. In that way, I'd feel like he's always by my side and never leaves."

"Your dad sucks."

Sarada shot him a detestable glare.

"Don't say that. I still respect him, even though he isn't always here." she scolded him.

"Sorry. I didn't mean it that way." Bolt apologised. "Anyways, let me tell you about the jutsu that Konohamaru-sensei is teaching me. Ya' know … "

The Uzumaki thought of changing that topic of the conversation in order to cheer his teammate up.

Moments passed and Sarada began to realise that hanging out with the blonde Uzumaki wasn't such a bad idea.

In fact, she was enjoying his company, and the same goes for him. Bolt was wasn't that annoying at all. His lively and energetic personality is the very reason that he managed to keep an interesting conversation going between both of them.

_after hours of non-stop conversation …_

The sun drowned in the horizon, it's rays of light glimmering faintly as the stars began to shine its way into the approaching night sky.

"Well, I guess I should probably get going now." Sarada muttered.

After Sarada got changed back to her now-dry clothes, she waited for Bolt to finish putting his clothes back on before turning back to him.

"We should — ya' know, hang out like this a lot. It's a great way to spend a day-off." Bolt said, keeping in mind that now isn't the right time to ask her out on a date.

"Y-yeah." Sarada's cheeks flushed. Although she may not admit it, today was actually one of the best days of her life.

_Did she just agree with me?_ Bolt wondered in surprise.

"Would you like me to walk you home, Sarada-chan?" he asked, being a gentleman and all that.

"No, it's okay." she replied. "I'll be fine on my own."

"So … maybe next time again-ttebasa?"

Sarada turned away from him, her eyes took a quick glance at the lake before them. Then, he turned around once more to look at him.

"Bolt?" she sighed.

"Y-Yeah?" he looked at her intently, his cerulean-blue eyes goggling at her cheerfully.

"I had fun." Sarada confessed.

* * *

><p><em>Location: (The Uzumaki Residence)<em>

Like a madman gone loose, Bolt Uzumaki made his way home a happy man after finding out that Sarada actually had a good time with him. Even though it wasn't a date, the blonde treated it as his first. His heart felt light and the pain of the aching muscles on his hands vanished like magic.

"Mom, I'm home." he announced.

He arrived to witness Hinata teaching Himawari how to do her maths and proceeded to give his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"How's your day, Bolt?" Hinata asked.

"It's fine." But honestly, it was _more_ than fine.

Himawari stood up and rushed towards his side.

"Look, nii-san! I draw us together!"

The little Hinata showed her brother a cute drawing of him, holding hands and playing with his little sister. It wasn't really _that_ artistic, but Bolt flashed her a genuine smile before giving Himawari a quick brotherly hug.

"That's really nice, Hima-chan. You're going to be a great artist one day." he encouraged her.

After Himawari went back on doing her maths, Hinata turned to her son and began to speak in her usual gentle manner.

"Listen." she started. "We're celebrating an important occasion at the Hyuga Estate tomorrow and you should come along too."

"Why do I have to be there-ttebasa?"

"Because you haven't seen your oji-san in a long time. Don't you want to see your Grandpa Hiashi?"

"O-Of course I do, mom."

"Be sure to wake up early tomorrow, okay?" Hinata gave him a gentle pat on the forehead.

The blonde nodded in response.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Bolt Uzumaki couldn't sleep at all. His mind lingered over the events that happened this afternoon. Of how he and Sarada had spent the day together, just chilling and having fun.<p>

Then, he remembered.

The way Sarada gracefully pulled an arrow out from her quiver and shot a perfect bull's-eye on the red dot in the middle of the target circle. The way her beautiful onyx-dark eyes aimed accurately and how she pulled that string with elegance before she fired that arrow..

_An arrow to my heart_.

Bolt thought merrily with a wide grin on his face before he slowly drifted off to a peaceful night's rest.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

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